Evil Lives On
by LordAlexander74
Summary: When a man who recalls naught but his name awakens on the abandoned isle of Doru Areaba, upon seeing the carnage which has been wrought upon the former residents he joins the ranks of the ancient Dragon Riders to aid Eragon in a quest of retribution.
1. Awakening

Waves lapped silently upon a misty beach. An unconscious young man was sprawled in the wet sands. A seagull flew down and landed next to the man. The bird pecked at the man's hand, which snapped up and grabbed the creature by the beak. The gull squawked as the man shifted, flapping its wings and trying to get away. The man sat up, groaning, and released his grip on the seagull, which promptly flew away.

"Where am I?" he muttered, coming to his senses and standing up.

He was wearing plated boots, greaves, arm guards, pauldrons, and a large breastplate. There was also an open-faced helmet on the mans head with spikes sticking out at a sharp angle, and a flowing cape tied to his neck. All this armor was tinted a deep greenish-black, and studded with green crystal. Sheathed in the belt around the mans waist were 2 long and slightly curved swords, one gold inscribed with the name Balmung, and one silver with the name Ascalon. The man looked around at the indifferent beach.

"I don't remember much, except my name…Alex, I believe..." He walked up the beach, not seeing much but sand, dark water, and high cliffs.

"This island…" Alex said, looking around. "There's something strange about it. I should see what's above those cliffs."

He started walking up to the crag, but something caught his eye at the base of the precipice. It was a large backpack, bulging due to the large amount of contents within. A dull pain suddenly crossed Alex's mind. He rubbed his forehead, and the pain went away.

"I remember something…" he muttered, walking toward the backpack.

"This pack is mine. I don't know how it got here, but I'll take a look in it once I get to the top of this escarpment." Alex put on his knapsack, and started climbing up the jagged rock face.

As Alex climbed over the top of the cliff, he gasped with wonder at what he saw. Far off in the center of the island was an abandoned city lying at the base of a large mountain.

"Wow" he said, amazed. "But something is wrong." A feeling of dread and sorrow filled Alex, causing him to kneel almost on the verge of tears. Then suddenly a strange force entered his mind, filling it with heart-rending memories.

A crazed man atop a twisted black dragon stormed into the city, slaying everything including men, women, and worse, dragons. His followers did the same, almost as insane as their leader. One of the followers stood out among the others, riding atop a great red dragon, and wielding a glowing red long sword etched with a strange rune.

"How can they do this" said Alex sadly, watching from afar.

The leader then looked at Alex with an evil grin, and charged toward the stricken man. Alex raised his swords, but the evil man disappeared along with his followers and the rest of the carnage. As the illusions disappeared, Alex fell to his knees crying.

"How could this have happened?" he said, between sobs.

"So much needless destruction and murdering of dragons and riders." He started to get up, wiping his face with his hand. He looked up as the strange force contacted him again, but this time there were others.

"The spirits of the deceased..." said Alex, softly. He took a deep breath, while a hardened and determined look settled on his face.

"I vow for revenge upon your murderers, and I will not rest until justice is brought upon him."

He stood up, and made a short bow toward the destroyed city. Alex then picked up his backpack, and began walking away, toward the cliffs from which he climbed up earlier.

As Alex walked toward the edge of the cliff, he noticed the dim outlines of mountains on the horizon.

"The only thing that lies between me and the mainland is this stretch of ocean" he said to himself.

"Oh well. I could do for a bit of exercise. And it's almost mid-day, so my clothes will have plenty of time to dry. Then I'll see what's on the other side of those mountains."

Alex took off his armor and put it in his backpack, then took a deep breath, tightened the straps on his bag, and leapt off of the cliff into the calm, cold waters of the ocean.


	2. Arrival

Alex swam for a long while on the oceans surface. His backpack was weighing him down, but he still managed to make much progress.

"The waters are becoming restless. Something important is going to happen, and I want to find out what" he said, noticing the increasing size of the waves. Alex continued swimming toward the beach, but he was rapidly becoming exhausted.

"I hope I can make it" he gasped. Suddenly a large wave appeared under him and carried him toward the beach. Alex hit the sand rather hard, but stood up and looked around, wiping the sand off of his face.

"Well, that was convenient" said Alex, taking off his pack, armor, and clothes, and laying them on the sunny beach to dry. He then looked up at the nearby mountains, and saw a thin crevice between two tall peaks.

"Looks a little hard to traverse, but it seems to be the only way across them. I'll go there later, when my clothes are dry, and after I've taken a nap and found something to eat" thought Alex to himself. He laid against his backpack, and dozed off in a peaceful sleep, being comforted by the warmness of the noon sun.

------

Alex woke up with a yell as a sharp pain sliced across his foot. He looked down, and noticed his feet and the sand below them were wet. There was also a large fish clamped onto his toes.

"Tide must be coming in" thought Alex, picking up a nearby rock and throwing it at the fish's head, stunning it and dislodging it from his foot. He then retrieved the silver sword from his drying armor, and cut the fish's head off.

"This will make for a great meal. Now to find some firewood" said Alex joyfully. He placed the fish on a large rock, and wandered along the beach, collecting small longs of driftwood, and piles of dried grass. He went back to his campsite, and placed the logs in a pile with the grass surrounding it.

Alex then retrieved Balmung, and picked up Ascalon in his other hand. He spread his arms apart, and then quickly slammed the two swords together with a rather loud clang, creating a shower of sparks. He did this multiple times until the brush got set on fire. Alex put Balmung down, and impaled the fish on the silver blade. He held the fish over the fire, which was now growing in size and intensity, and turned it over every so often to cook it evenly.

Once it was done cooking, Alex peeled the scales off to reveal a delicious wad of golden brown fish meat. "This is excellent" he exclaimed, biting into the fish and savoring every bite.

"Ahh, that was good" he said, picking the bones off of his sword and throwing them away. Alex put the swords back into their sheathes, and then kneeled down next to his backpack.

"Time to see what else is in here" he thought, opening the pack. "Sweet, spare traveling clothes, and a metal-mesh undershirt. Now to get across those mountains" said Alex, picking out and putting on the mesh shirt and the suit of tough leather traveling clothes. He then neatly stuffed his armor into his backpack, closed it up and put it on. Taking a deep breath, Alex went to the crevice between the mountains, and started climbing up it.

"Boy, this is conveniently easy to walk. Barely any obstacles at all" said Alex, walking around a large boulder. He looked up at the mountains looming over him.

"Wow" he said. "I wonder what's on the other side of them." Alex stared dreamily at the sky, longing for the breezes blowing across his face. He did not realize he was still walking while dreaming, and collided face-first with a wide tree.

"Gaah" he exclaimed, rubbing his nose. "I have got to remember to observe and be familiar with my surroundings…Whoa"

Alex looked around with surprise at the forest surrounding him, while the mountains were at his back. "This forest" he said softly. "It is silent, mysterious...almost magical."

He continued walking into the heart of the forest, becoming strangely more anxious. "My heart is beating faster, just like when I was climbing those cliffs on that island. Something important must be happening soon" said Alex, pausing in a small clearing.

He had traveled far and fast through the forest, finding nothing but trees, shrubbery, and the occasional trace of an animal. "I should find a place to camp out. Night is coming soon" thought Alex.

He looked up, and saw two large holes in a large tree, high above the ground. "Perfect" he thought, climbing up the tree.

"High enough off the ground as not to be bothered by animals, and excellent shelter from weather."

He climbed in the lower hole, and placed his backpack in the smaller hole above him. He opened it up, and below his armor was a sleeping mat, which he pulled out and laid on the floor of the tree-hole.

"Now to find some food" Alex said to himself, climbing down the tree. He continued through the forest silently, looking for something edible.

Suddenly an explosion shattered the tranquility of the forest. Alex dived behind a bush, then got up and looked around. A herd of deer ran in front of where Alex was standing. "Time to tackle" said Alex, leaping at a nearby deer.

He grabbed the animal by the neck, but fell off and crashed to the ground. The deer retaliated by kicking him in the legs, and running away into the forest. "Curses" swore Alex, getting up and brushing himself off.

"Now I'll be hungry for a …What the!" His heart skipped a beat as he noticed an arrow protruding loosely from his chest.

"Thank the gods for armor" said Alex, relieved, pulling the arrow out. "Now to find the owner of this arrow. He or she should be nearby." He walked in the direction of the explosion, hoping to find the cause.

Walking through the forest, Alex came upon a smoky clearing of grass and brush, flattened to the ground by a strange force. In the midst of the clearing were two shiny stones, one a deep black and the other a beautiful blue.

"Wow" said Alex. "I wonder who or what sent these here and how… Whoa!" His head snapped around as he noticed a young lad crouched in a nearby bush, with an arrow nocked in his bow. The lad, surprised that Alex noticed him, released the arrow which flew right into Alex's chest.

"Hey, what was that for?" exclaimed Alex, pulling the arrow out.

The lad got up, and said cautiously "Who are you, and why aren't you dead? That arrow went straight into your chest."

"My name is Alex, and the reason I am not dead is because of this" He lifted up his over shirt to reveal his mesh armor.

"Here's your arrows back. And what might your name be?" asked Alex, tossing the arrows over to the lad, who caught them deftly and placed them in his quiver.

"I'm called Eragon" said the lad warily. "What might you be doing here in the Spine of all places?" Alex walked toward the stones in the center of the clearing, being watched closely by Eragon.

"To be quite honest, I don't know. I just have this gut feeling that I'm supposed to be here" he replied. "What about you, Eragon? Are you just hunting here?"

"Yes" replied Eragon. "My family needs food for the upcoming winter, and I've some to get some here. Though I've run out of supplies, and probably should turn back." Eragon walked up toward Alex in the center of the clearing.

Alex, looking at him deeply, could sense a faint bond of trust between them. _"There is something strange, rather unique, about this lad"_ thought Alex. _"Though I don't exactly know what it is. I guess I'll find out eventually."_

"However" said Eragon, bending down to have a closer look at the stones. "I think these stones will fetch me enough to buy plenty of meat. You don't mind if I take them both?"

"Well" said Alex, bending down and picking up the black stone. "I believe that this is what I was supposed to be here for. How about this: I'll take this black stone, and you can have the blue one. It should still get you enough money for food. Is that okay with you?"

"I suppose" sighed Eragon, looking up at the sky. "I should go now. It's getting late. Do you have a place to stay?" he asked, watching Alex.

"Yeah, I found a large tree with a gaping hole in the trunk that I've made a nice home out of. It's rather deep in the forest. What about you? Is there a village nearby where you reside?" replied Alex.

"Yes, it's called Carvahall. It's not too far from here. If you want to visit, follow the animal tracks out of this forest and into a large valley. Carvahall is at the base of a waterfall" Eragon put the blue stone in his backpack, and began to walk away. "I have to get moving before night falls. You should do the same, as this forest can be quite dangerous at night."

"Thanks for the info and warning" said Alex, waving goodbye to Eragon, who disappeared into the trees. He sighed, and began to walk back to his tree home. Suddenly, a small vibration shook the stone. Alex blinked in surprise and looked at the stone. He tapped it, but nothing happened.

"This is no normal stone. I wonder what's within it. Oh well, it's waiting until morning" thought Alex, climbing up the tree and into the hole. He put the stone next to his backpack, then laid on the floor and dozed off into a peaceful rest.


	3. Their Destinies Entwined

A dark aura surrounded the black stone on the shelf above Alex. The stone shuddered slightly as a crack appeared, and a small squeal emanated from within. Many more cracks appeared on the stone as the squeals were getting stronger and more desperate.

Then a piece of the stone fell off, and a small, moist head poked out of the hole. It looked around, and then retreated back into the stone. With a great effort of strength, the stone split neatly in two as a small winged creature sprawled out. A dragon.

The creature opened its mouth, revealing rows of small, sharp teeth, and yawned. Two small horns protruded out of his head, and thin wings as soft as leather were attached to its back. A set of large deep-red plated scales covered the underside of his body, from neck to tail. The dragon looked around, stretching his wings and flexing his arms.

He walked forward, and squawked in surprise as he fell over the edge of the shelf. He flipped over and landed neatly on his feet right next to Alex's face. The dragon looked at the sleeping Alex, and prodded his cheek with his head. A smile crossed Alex's face as the dragon curled up next to him in a blissful sleep.

------

Images of pain and torment raved through Alex's dreams. A being of pure evil and darkness stood above Alex, grinning maliciously. Even though he knew he would lose, Alex resisted the dark being to the best of his abilities, but was soon overcame.

The dark being was about to destroy Alex completely, but a new presence entered Alex's mind and rejuvenated him. The dark being looked on in horror at the new arrival, and quickly retreated out of Alex's mind.

Alex, confused, looked at the new presence, wondering what or who it is. He gasped as the presence enveloped his mind, entwining it with itself, and emanating thoughts of love and compassion that were the core essence of the bonding between dragon and rider.

The dragons mind, tired from this ordeal, guided Alex into a deep sleep. Now comforted, Alex instinctively moved his hand to rest on the dragon next to him, for added comfort and relief.

------

"_Ahhh, what a night. First the nightmare, then that strange presence cleansing it from my mind"_ thought Alex, trying to wake up. _"It seems so familiar and comforting, yet so foreign at the same time."_

He shifted, and was surprised to hear a squeal of protest. He opened his eyes, and gasped as the little dragon looked at him lovingly.

"_So it wasn't a stone, but an egg"_ thought Alex, stroking the dragon who was rumbling in pleasure.

"Hmmm, you're going to need a name and some food" said Alex, sitting up. He looked outside, and saw a fresh blanket of snow covering the forest. "But how to pay for it…" he pondered, looking through his backpack.

He came upon a small pouch filled with many coins, which he took out and tied to his belt. "This should be enough" said Alex joyfully. He clambered to the edge of the tree hole as the dragon ran toward him pulling at his mind with a concerned feeling.

He turned around to see the dragon pulling at his shirt with a worried color in its eyes. _"Do not worry, little one"_ said Alex lovingly, laying his hand on the dragon's head. _"I'll be just fine. You're probably just as hungry as I am, and when I get back, I'll have enough meat to feed the both of us for a while. Then we can have a nice, hearty meal, followed by a session of bonding before bedtime."_

He grinned at the dragon, and ushered it to the far corner of the tree hole. _"You'd better wait here for today. We don't know how the people of this land will react to you, so I think it would be best if you stayed here. Again, don't worry. I'll be back safe and sound later today."_ He sent the dragon a caressing thought, then began climbing down the snowy tree and onto the forest floor.

As he ran among the snowy trees, thoughts of excitement and anticipation flowed through Alex's mind. _"A dragon of my very own"_ thought Alex, ducking under a low branch. _"Bright and early tomorrow morning, we will train both our mind and body. I can't wait to mess around with my swords."_

Alex stopped running at the edge of a large cliff. He listened closely, and heard the sound of rushing water. Alex looked around at the valley below him, and noticed a small farmhouse not too far from the waterfall.

A fair distance from the small house was a small, quaint village. Within the village center was a group of wagons and tents. A faint yet potent smell wafted into Alex's nose, and he looked excitedly at the village.

"Merchants" he said aloud, carefully climbing down the cliff. "I better get there fast, or the bread will be cold. I'm so hungry that I could eat a cow" he mused, dropping to the cliff base.

"_They're bound to have meat to sell as well. I just hope there's enough to feed my dragon."_ Alex walked at a leisurely pace toward the village, as to not attract any unwanted attention.

Entering the village, Alex came upon a fairly large crowd of people wandering around the wagons. He melded with the crowd, visiting various merchants and checking out their wares. Alex stopped at a stall on the counter of which were various freshly baked pies.

_"Wow, these smell good. I'm definitely going to get one"_ he thought, picking out some coins from his pocket. "I'll take that one" he said to the lady at the stall, who got a small napkin from under the stall and wrapped the pie up in it. She gave it to Alex, who promptly thanked her and gave her the small handful of coins.

Alex walked off, and sat down on the steps of a nearby house, greedily eating the delicious pie. Wiping off his hands, he stood up and caught the scent of fresh meat. _"Must be a butchers shop"_ he thought, entering the door.

As he walked in, a squat ugly man looked up from behind a counter, and said "You from around here?" in a gruff voice. "You could say that" replied Alex. "Hmph" said the man. "Well, what do you want?" he said sharply, watching Alex look around. "I don't have all day here" the butcher said, eyeing Alex suspiciously.

"I'd like enough meat to feed two people for a couple of days" requested Alex, looking up at the butcher with a hard look on his face. The butcher went into a back room, and came out with 2 wrapped medium slabs of meat. "Will this be enough?" asked Alex, handing a pile of coins to the butcher.

"Yeah" said the butcher. "Now get out of here. I've business to attend to." Alex was all too glad to comply, and quickly exited the butchery. _"Man, that guy has problems"_ he thought, looking around.

He noticed Eragon, holding the blue stone, and an older man walk out of a merchant's tent. _"If only he knew…"_ thought an amused Alex, walking out of the village. _"I should get back to my dragon. He's probably gray with worry by now"_ thought Alex, laughing to himself.

He started walking out of the village, thinking about his dragon and not paying attention to the path in front of him. Alex gave a sharp gasp of surprise when he bumped into the arm of an old man. "Sorry" he said to the man, brushing himself off, and walking around him.

The old man looked at Alex with a curious look in his eyes, and then continued on his way. Meanwhile, Alex ran out of the village, swiftly climbed up the valley wall, with the sun disappearing beneath the horizon, and jogged through the snowy trees to where his dragon resided.

As he climbed into his tree hole, Alex was horrified to find his dragon not there. His fears were quickly swept away when the little black dragon flew in the tree from the sky. "And where have you been, little one? Looking around the forest?" he said, relieved.

The dragon walked over, and climbed onto Alex's lap. He hummed with comfort, and leaned against his rider's belly. "Guess so" sighed Alex, grabbing his silver sword from his bag and taking out a hunk of meat.

"You're looking hungry" said Alex, cutting off a slice of meat and handing it to his dragon, who greedily began to eat it. The little creature glanced at his rider with a wistful look in his eyes. "You want more?" exclaimed Alex.

"Wow. Be sure to save enough for me, you black hole" he said, smiling and continuing to feed his hungry dragon. "Now how am I going to cook the rest of this?" wondered Alex, his hand settling on his dragon's neck. The dragon, upon hearing this, looked at the leftover meat.

A sudden burst of heat enveloped the steak, cooking it fully. "That came from you?" asked a slightly perplexed Alex, munching on the juicy steak. The black dragon nodded, and then settled his head on Alex's leg.

"That was great. I hope we have enough to last a while. Don't know how long until we have to move" said Alex, putting the meat aside. "Now for your name. I always had trouble with names, but I think I've come up with a good one. How about Thanatos?"

The dragon lifted his head, and looked his rider square in the eyes. A soft yet strong voice sounded through Alex's mind, saying _Excellent. "So you can speak within minds"_ said Alex to his dragon, who nodded lightly.

"_Great, though it seems you don't know many words, but I'll help you with that. Now, let us sleep. It's been a long day for me."_ Thanatos curled up against his rider, who leaned back against the inner tree with his hand on his dragon's neck.


	4. Evil Strikes

The next day, Alex awoke to find a fresh layer of snow covering the forest floor.

"_It should be freezing in here"_ he thought, carefully depositing the sleeping Thanatos on the shelf above him.

"_I guess Thanatos must be counteracting the cold somehow"_ thought Alex, equipping his sheath and swords.

"Now to get some training done" he said softly, not wanting to wake his dragon, whose stomach was still bulging from last nights engorgement.

He carefully climbed down the tree, and drew the golden sword from the left sheath, raising it high. Alex brought the sword down quickly, then kicked high in the air, and followed up by spinning the sword wildly around in the circle. He then drew the silver blade, and performed a flurry of flashy combos.

Then one of the swords slipped, and almost split his skull if it had not mysteriously stopped in midair. Surprised, Alex looked up and saw Thanatos, with a slight draconic grin, perched on a tree branch. The sword fell in the snow, and Alex picked it up, saying to his dragon

"_It seems I need to be more careful. Perhaps we should be training together, to learn each others strengths and weaknesses." _

Thanatos flew down and landed in the snow beside his rider. _Yes, that would be good_ he said. _Now pick up that sword, and let's get started!_

Dragon and rider continued training with each other through night and day. They did for many weeks, conquering their weaknesses and sharpening their strengths. Alex's skill with his blades grew, though he was still not a master of the sword.

Young Thanatos grew both in size, looks, and strength. His horns increased in size, was now almost twice as tall as his rider, and as long as the trees in the forest in which they resided.

The dragon spent many hours in the nearby mountains, hunting for both himself and his rider. The two trained and bonded in such a way that no normal human could comprehend. They knew each others faults, and how to correct them. Alex and Thanatos continued with this way of life until one fateful evening in which their lives changed forever.

They were asleep on a mountain ledge, Alex leaning against his dragon's warm side. A strange feeling washed over Alex, waking him immediately. He got up, and looked around, wondering what's going on.

_"Do you sense that, Thanatos?"_ he asked his waking dragon.

Thanatos stood up, raised his head and sniffed the air.

_Yes I do. Something is happening. Something... is coming!_ he said urgently, expanding his mind to try and find out what's happening. As he searched around mentally, he encountered a force so strong that it nearly stunned him.

_Such power_ he said, breathing heavily.

_"Are you okay?" _asked Alex.

Thanatos nodded, then said_ Strong emotions...Anger, despair, worry...coming toward us rapidly...There!_

Both Thanatos and his rider looked at the night sky, seeing nothing for a moment, but then their eyes widened in surprise as they watched a young sapphire-scaled dragon rapidly flying toward them. Atop the dragons neck was a young lad clinging on to the beast's neck, blood soaking through his pants.

"Eragon" Alex said aloud." So his egg must've hatched as well. Fine looking dragon he's bonded with."

He climbed on his dragon's neck, and said _Thanatos, take me to that village I went to a while ago, but not too close. Don't want people making false suspicions about you."_

_Good idea, dear rider_ replied Thanatos, taking flight in the dark night.

_Something must have happened there to make Eragon and his dragon fly away with such fright._

They continued toward Carvahall, and landed a fair distance from the village.

_"Go now, dear heart, and make sure Eragon is okay. Tell him I'm your rider, and he should trust you, but if all else fails, convince his dragon that you mean them no harm. I will go and see what happened around here."_ said Alex, dismounting his dragon.

Thanatos lowered his head until his eyes were level with his riders.

_Good plan, Alex, but I want you to promise me you'll be careful. Something seems amiss around these parts. _

_"I promise, dear Thanatos"_ said Alex softly, laying his hand on his dragons muzzle. Thanatos closed his eyes and sighed lovingly, then turned and flied back toward the mountains in which Eragon and his dragon were hiding.

After watching his dragon depart, Alex turned and began walking toward the village, when he caught the scent of evil on the wind.

_"Of all the times to forget my swords"_ he cursed silently, looking around.

He continued walking along, picking up a snow-covered branch off of the ground. As Alex headed out of the forest, he came upon a horrific sight. A farm house was being set ablaze by two cloaked creatures, almost resembling men.

"STOP!" cried out Alex, raising the branch and charging toward the cloaked beings. Seeing Alex, they turned around and walked toward the rider. Alex stopped in his tracks, for he was frightened by the faces of the cloaked ones. They resembled humans, with bird-like features and beaks on their faces.

"_This house must've been Eragon's, destroyed by these evil beings"_ thought Alex.

"And for that, you will pay" he said aloud, raising his branch and swinging at the cloaked ones, who dodged with inhuman speed. Alex tried to recover, but was quickly kicked down. One of the cloaked beings picked him up, and threw him against a nearby tree, knocking him out.

_Stay away, Thanatos…_ he feebly told his dragon before slipping unconsciousness. The cloaked ones kicked Alex once more, then retreated into the dark night.

------------------

_"I promise, dear Thanatos"_ said Alex, patting his dragon on the muzzle.

Thanatos watched his rider walk stealthily into the woods, and then took off into the starry night, to look for Eragon and his dragon. He decided to start his search at the place where Alex found his egg, so he flew in that direction using Alex's memories as a guide.

As Thanatos came close to the clearing, he felt a strange yet familiar presence. Not wanting to cause unneeded antagonism, he slowly pushed out his mind, seeking peace with the other force, which awakened with surprise.

The other force cautiously brushed Thanatos' mind, seeing if the black dragon was friend or foe. Thanatos knew at once that this force is Eragon's dragon, and a female one at that.

_She seems familiar, though I can't remember who or what she's like_ he thought to himself.

Thanatos then sent out a mental message to Eragon's dragon, saying _"I apologize for disturbing your sleep, dear lady. I was awakened a while ago by you and your rider flying by, emanating much distress. My rider wanted to make sure you were all right. My name is Thanatos. What might yours be?"_

The other force tensed up for a moment, then relaxed and replied _I am called Saphira. The reason for my distress earlier is because my rider, Eragon, mentioned inhuman beings in the area. I then… went berserk, if you will, and took off with him. During our flight, his legs got shredded on my scales, and we are resting here until morning." _

"_Ouch"_ said Thanatos, shifting."_ I hope he's all right_" The black dragon tensed for a moment, sensing something amiss, then shrugged it off.

"_Well, it's good that you're okay. I should check back on my…ALEX!"_ Thanatos took off in a fit of horror and rage, solely intent on finding out what happened to his rider. Saphira got up to follow him, but then thought better of herself and laid back down to protect her rider.

_What is going on?_ she thought, lying down to sleep. _I do hope Thanatos and his rider are all right._

Authors Notes:

This is fun to write. I hope you're all enjoying this so far. If you have any constructive criticism to offer, please do. Oh by the way, the next chapter coming up is a bit long. Just letting you know ahead of time.


	5. The Chosen Path

Alex turned restlessly in his sleep, dreaming of a beautiful woman sitting on a cliff. She was garbed in a long cloak, next to a great golden dragon. _Who is she?_ he wondered, trying to wake up.

Suddenly his dreams were shattered by the same evil being that had once tormented him before. A silent scream escaped his mouth as the being almost overcame him. Alex woke up with a startled gasp, looking around cautiously. He was in a small room in a house, lying in a short bed with wool covers.

_Where am I_? he thought, mentally searching for his dear dragon. The door to the room opened, and Alex found himself looking at a rather pretty girl, who asked "Oh good, you're awake. My name's Katrina. The other villagers found you buried in the snow, unconscious. They were inspecting the destruction of a farm outside of this village. What's your name?"

"I am called Alex" he said, remembering what happened at the farm.

"I do hope Eragon is all right" he muttered.

"Eragon?" Katrina asked, surprised. "He is fine, though what do you know of him? You're not from around here."

Alex blinked, and then thought _Crap, I'd better be more careful. I don't think it would be good if people would find out too much about me._ "Let's just say Eragon and I met a while ago. Now I know you're still wondering what's going on, but don't worry. I just need a bit of time to clear things up, if that's okay?" he replied to Katrina, who then said

"Fine. I'll be back later. In the meantime, rest easy." She left, closing the door, leaving Alex to his thoughts.

"_Thanatos…Where are you?"_ wondered Alex.

He didn't have to wonder long, for his dragon's presence came rushing to him like a boulder falling off a cliff. _Alex! Thank the gods that you are all right. I was so worried about you._

"_Worry no longer, dear heart"_ said Alex, mentally caressing his relieved dragon._ "I am alive and well, with the minor exception of these bruises. So, tell me dear, what have you been doing in my absence?"_

_Well_ said Thanatos, pausing to think for a moment. _I have been talking with Saphira, Eragon's dragon. She has convinced him to go after those who burned his house down and killed his uncle. We've met, and she trusts me enough to let us go along. Eragon is escaping as we speak, and you should do the same before the villagers discover your secrets._

Alex got out of the bed, and walked toward the window. "_Alright, I'll meet you soon. Don't forget to get my equipment from our old home. See you later, Thanatos_."

And with that message, Alex broke off contact with his dragon, and leapt out of the window, landing in a deep snowdrift. He gasped, and quickly dug snow out of his boots.

_Boy, that'll wake someone up in the morning_ he thought to himself.

Alex walked around the edge of the village, as not to be seen, and retreated into the nearby forest. He headed toward Eragon's house, hoping to meet him and Saphira there.

As he arrived at the destroyed farm, the day was coming to an end. Alex noticed many footprints on the ground, as well as what looked like a large creature launching off into the air. He heard something coming, and looked up to see Thanatos dropping out of the sky and neatly landing next to his rider. Alex ran over and hugged his dragon fiercely, who responded with rumbles of pleasure and love.

"_It is good to see you again, Thanatos."_ said Alex, caressing his dragon's muzzle._" Now, where are Eragon and Saphira? Did they leave already?" _

_Yes, they are nearby_ replied Thanatos.

"_Good. Let us go meet up with them again"_ said Alex, patting his dragon and walking away.

_I'll go and hide, in case there are travelers around_ said Thanatos, flying off into the darkening sky.

Alex put on his cloak, and began exploring the nearby forest, looking for Eragon and Saphira. He came upon a small path leading into a deep thicket. He started to go in, but was stopped by a voice from behind him.

"And just who might you be?" said the gruff voice.

Alex turned around, and faced the old man whom he bumped into earlier.

"Oh, hey there. I'm Alex. I bumped into you at the village near here. I was just looking for someone I met a while ago. Eragon was his name, I believe. What might your name be?"

The old man looked at Alex suspiciously, and lied "Neal. Eragon is sleeping within the thicket, and doesn't want to be disturbed. What are you doing in this area?"

Alex looked at the old man curiously, and replied "Eragon told me that he is on a quest of revenge against those who destroyed his farm and killed his uncle. I wish to join him, for I was struck down by the same beings."

The old man tensed up, and asked suspiciously "Very few know what actually happened at that farm. Who is your friend?"

Alex looked at the old man carefully, seeing if he was trustworthy enough. "I do believe I can trust you with my "friends" existence. Suspicious you may be, but you will trust us once you know."

He pointed toward the evening sky, where Thanatos was flying around, looking for a place to land. The old man followed Alex's gaze, looking at Thanatos intently.

"How is this…" he started to say, but stopped. "Follow me, and tell your "Friend" to meet us in the thicket. There should be enough room for him in there" he said to Alex, and walked into the thicket.

"My real name's Brom, I suppose you can understand why I lied to you earlier" he said, beckoning Alex to follow him.

"Yeah I do" replied Alex, walking into the thicket.

"Before he arrives, I would like to say a little something about my friend. Just because he's a certain color doesn't mean he has evil attributes."

"I understand" said Brom. "I can see you bear us no malice."

As they walked into the clearing, Eragon's dragon, Saphira, raised her head and looked at Alex curiously.

"We can trust him" said Brom, quickly, taking a seat next to a campfire.

Alex made a short bow toward Saphira, and said "My name is Alex. It is a pleasure to meet you, Saphira."

_Likewise_ she replied, laying her head down around her rider.

Alex sat down across from Saphira and next to Brom, and then heard the flapping of great wings as Thanatos neatly landed beside Saphira, and dropped Alex's bag beside him. He greeted her, then relaxed and started to sleep. Alex noticed Brom had tensed up during Thanatos' arrival, but seemed to relax now.

"So" said the old man, turning toward Alex. "Why don't you tell me about yourself, and where you are from?"

"Well" replied Alex, thinking. "I don't remember exactly where I'm from, but I awoke on an island to the northwest of here."

He continued to tell Brom his adventures so far, about the vision on the island, and how he found trained with, and raised Thanatos.

"Interesting" said Brom, slightly perplexed.

"The man you saw atop the twisted dragon…Galbatorix. He is the emperor of this land, and is ruling it rather harshly. I have always thought a new generation of riders would rise again and defeat him, and that possibility is now here. But he is quite powerful, and it will take a lot to defeat him. I'm not sure we could do it with our current skill with the sword, especially Eragon. We're going to need a lot more training to defeat the emperor in battle, and that will start tomorrow" continued Brom, walking over and climbing into his sleeping bag.

"For now, let's get some sleep. It's getting late."

"This is going to be one interesting adventure" said Alex softly, walking over to his dragon and settling against the warm scales. As he fell asleep, a smile crossed his face as Thanatos instinctively curled around him.

---------

Alex woke up to the smell of cool morning air. He sat up against Thanatos, who was still asleep.

"Morning, Alex" said Brom, sitting next to the campfire aside of Eragon.

"I've just told Eragon about your adventures so far. It doesn't seem like coincidence that you two met at the same time and place where the dragon eggs appeared."

Alex thought about this for a moment, and then replied "It is possible that Eragon and I were meant to rise up and defeat Galbatorix, but I know that moment won't happen for a while."

"I know we'll have to face the king eventually, but the road to that point is sure to be harsh…" said a slightly depressed Eragon. Saphira looked up, and comforted her rider.

_He's been through a lot_ said Thanatos to Alex, yawning. _Saphira told me about what happened when we first met._

"You're a strong lad" said Brom. You'll be able to handle the training that is involved. We should go now. Let's stop by Therinsford to pick up some horses. Both Thanatos and Saphira are still too young to carry two people at once. It'll be harder to catch up with the Ra'Zac, but if you boys want my training and knowledge of dragonkind, you're going to have to accept that fact." said Brom, standing up and walking toward the entrance to the thicket.

"I don't mind" said Alex, following Brom. "I'd like to play it safe, and improve my skills before I fight them again"

"And I shall go along as well" said Eragon, rising and looking more determined.

"As much as I would like to chase after them on Saphira, going with you would be the best of options."

"Good" said Brom. "Let's go then. Tell your dragons they must fly high and stay hidden. We don't want any other travelers noticing them."

They walked out of the clearing and into the snowy forest, heading south to Therinsford.

_I don't like having to hide everywhere. What if they get into some sort of trouble?_ said Saphira, shifting.

_Do not worry Saphira. I don't like it either, but they will be cautious and look out for each other. Though let's stay close by, just in case something happens. After you_ said Thanatos, gesturing to Saphira. She took off high, keeping track of her rider, with Thanatos right behind her.

Arriving at Therinsford, Brom left the horses at a stable, and told Eragon to look over them. Thanatos and Saphira were in a clearing far from town, getting to know each other quite well. He took Alex to a clothier, and got him some nice looking traveler's clothes so he would fit in better.

"You look good in that" he commented, walking out of the shop.

"Thanks. They're quite comfortable, and hopefully will last a good portion of this trip" replied Alex. "I think we'd best get back to the stables, and get some horses. Don't want anyone to recognize us." he said, while Brom nodded in agreement.

"Yes, especially Eragon's cousin, Roran, who should be around here somewhere. I wouldn't mind confronting him, but now is not the time" he said.

They walked in the stables, where Eragon was petting a shy horse. Alex took a quick look outside, and noticed a young lad about Eragon's age looking at him suspiciously.

"We'd best hurry. I think someone recognizes me" he said, while Brom was bartering for two good horses, because that's all he could afford at the moment.

"Right" said Eragon, leading his horse, who he named Cadoc, out of the stables with Brom and Alex close behind. Luckily, Roran wasn't around, so they quickly went out of town and to the dragons, who were lightly teasing each other.

"They seem to be getting along quite nicely" commented Eragon. "I can tell this is going to be one fun adventure" Alex agreed, saying "Yes, I've always thought the right mix of people makes for a good time."

Eragon and Brom packed up, saddled their horses, and took off down the road with Alex jogging aside them.

"I take pride in my speed" he told them. "I'll be able to keep up with you."

The dragons flew off, keeping an eye on their riders.

"We'll make camp far from here, near the lonely mountain, Utgard" said Brom, riding along with Eragon and Alex.

Saphira was flying overhead, enjoying the day, when her view was suddenly blocked by Thanatos' large wing.

_You little…_ she said surprised, snapping her jaws and chasing the black dragon.

Thanatos was keeping just out of range, merrily emitting a curious draconic laugh. He paused, and let Saphira catch up with him. She smote him with her wings and finished off with a cloud of smoke in his face.

_Having fun?_ Thanatos teased, looking at Saphira.

_I'll be keeping my eye on you. Let's get going, our riders are getting ahead of us_ she replied, flying on with Thanatos.

Back on solid ground, Eragon was looking just as surprised as his dragon, and Alex and Brom were laughing heartily.

"Is Thanatos always like that?" asked Eragon, after they calmed down.

"Yeah, he's a bit of a tease, and knows not to push things too far" replied Alex, still amused by his dragon's actions.

"Heh, a little bit of joking around never hurt" said Eragon, turning off into the woods. "There's a good campsite over here. Saphira spotted it from above."

Brom and Alex followed him, and came upon a hidden clearing where Saphira and Thanatos were waiting. They set up camp, and started making a cheap meat stew for dinner. Brom got a couple of sparring sticks, and tossed two to Alex and Eragon.

"Sparring time" he said, walking toward Alex with his stick raised.

"Excellent, I've been waiting for a good sparring partner for a while now" said Alex, raising his stick in his right hand, pointing toward the ground in a defensive pose.

Brom smoothly lunged toward Alex, swinging his sparring pole toward his side. Alex quickly blocked, and retaliated with a combination of blows to Broms head and side. The two dragons and Eragon watched in interest as Alex and Brom dueled around the campfire.

Alex managed to land a few hits on Brom, but it was clear that the old man was a superior fighter. He delivered a blow to Alex's head which was so powerful that his pole snapped in half. Despite this, Alex continued fighting until Brom called off the duel.

"Not bad" he commented. "Though you really need to work on defending your weak points. I bet that last blow hurt."

"Yeah, I prefer not to show any weakness in the midst of a fight." said Alex, walking over to Thanatos.

"Though I'm sure the pain will strike soon…like right about now." He groaned, and rubbed his now very sore head.

"_Boy that smarts"_ he said to Thanatos, leaning on his dragon's neck.

_Allow me to alleviate your pain, dear rider_ said Thanatos, touching his snout to his injured riders head.

When the black dragon settled, Alex rubbed his head again to find the pain and bleeding had stopped, though it was still quite sore.

_Saphira says she liked your fighting_ commented Thanatos.

"_Give her my thanks"_ replied Alex while Thanatos complied.

"Say Alex, how did Thanatos heal you?" queried Eragon, looking over at him from his seat near Saphira.

"Don't really know" replied Alex, eyeing Eragon. "It appears that dragons are mysterious in their abilities"

"Entirely true, Alex. Not even they know the extent of their power" said Brom, tossing Eragon another stick. "Now it's your turn, Eragon. Get ready"

"Not again" he complained, getting up in his dueling stance.

Alex watched amused as Eragon tried his best to block Brom's blows. He managed to get a bit of defense in, as well as a couple strikes on Brom, but the old man still easily trumped him. Eragon walked away with many bruises as Brom put the poles away.

"Good. You're improving" he commented.

"We'll be setting out early in the morning for Yazuac, which shouldn't be that far from Utgard. Good night."

Brom climbed into his sleeping bag while Eragon walked toward his dragon, shaking his head as Saphira laughed in that curious draconic manner. The young lad crawled next to his dragon, and fell into a light sleep.

_He has potential_ noted Thanatos, laying his head down.

"_Yes" _said Alex, lying against his warm dragon's side. _"Now let us sleep. We've a long day of walking ahead of us"_


	6. The Storm Strikes

Alex woke up stretching, and yawned in the crisp morning air. "Morning Alex" said Brom, cooking up some breakfast. "You sleep okay?"

"Yes, quite well" replied Alex, looking around. "Though my head still hurts."

"I wonder why" said Brom jokingly. "You wouldn't happen to remember anything more about your past, would you?"

"Nope, not a thing" said Alex. "Though I still have the occasional nightmare"

"The one where you're being attacked by that evil being?" asked Brom.

"Yeah, though also my dreams include this nice-looking girl, shrouded in robes, and another female, with strikingly beautiful light brown hair. Next to them…are two dragons, one gold and one ruby. I have a feeling I know them somehow…" Alex trailed off, slight feelings of sadness and annoyance entering his mind.

His thoughts were interrupted by a groaning Eragon, who was still sore from last night's bruises. "Morning Eragon. Better get some breakfast soon, we'll be leaving soon" said Brom, while Eragon started eating.

"What a night" he said, rubbing his tender skin.

"Don't worry, you should get used to those soon" said Alex, chuckling slightly. "Hopefully" said Eragon, finishing up his breakfast.

Saphira and Thanatos both awoke at the same time, and greeted each other on this cool morning. Their riders have just finished eating, so they gathered their belongings and prepared to set out.

_Let us go, Saphira_ said Thanatos, launching himself into the morning air, with Saphira flying aside of him. _Something wrong?_ he asked, noting the sparkling sapphire dragon's feelings of worry.

_I just don't like having to hide all the time, so far away from my rider…_ said Saphira, flickers of anger spreading throughout her thoughts.

_As so I. Alex may be a bit too battle-hearty, but I trust him to make the right decisions in a fight or danger. I t would like to travel with my rider, but if we are seen… That would not bode well for any of us_ explained Thanatos, while making sure he and Saphira were flying high enough as not to be seen by travelers other than their riders and Brom.

_I know, but still_ said Saphira, still worried

_Saphira, I understand your worry. If anything happens to our riders, rest assured we'll be there swiftly. Until then, I'm sure they can handle it themselves_ promised Thanatos.

Saphira looked at the black dragon momentarily, then said _Thank you, Thanatos. Your words heighten my spirits considerably._

_You're welcome, Saphira._ replied Thanatos, glancing down at his rider.

-------------------

"I don't like being separated from her either, but if we chased the Ra'Zac on our dragons, Brom wouldn't be able to come with us, and I'm sure his instructions will help us on our quest" said Eragon to Alex.

They had been talking for a while on the plains below Utgard. On the way down, Brom had explained its history, about the last battle between Vrael and Galbatorix.

"_Wow"_ thought Alex. _"This land has such an interesting history."_

Getting back on track, he said to Eragon "Saphira is part of your heart, mind, and soul. You will have to fly with her eventually. I understand your reluctance to do so after certain past events, but your legs won't get shredded now that Brom made that saddle. Trust me, the first flight with one's dragon is such an enjoyable experience."

_As I recall, our first flight was quite fun_ said Thanatos, flying along the suddenly increasing winds.

"_Especially when I almost fell off after that one barrel roll"_ said Alex, laughing along with his dragon.

"Soon I will" said Eragon, though somewhat reluctant.

"Brom, why are you so silent all of a sudden?" he asked the old man.

"There's a storm coming" said Brom, pointing to the wall of black clouds ahead of them. The billowing storm was occasionally illuminated by arcing bolts of lightning, and a powerful gust of wind was making its way toward the group.

"Ye gods, land Saphira!" yelled Eragon both physically and mentally, as he realized with horror what was about to happen. Alex and Eragon raced against time to their dragons, who were speeding toward the ground as fast as possible to avoid the tempests' wrath.

Thanatos landed first, and furled his wings along his back just as the mighty wind reached them. He looked around for Saphira, and saw her getting tossed around by the storms fury. She managed to land far in front of Thanatos, but was soon ripped up by the powerful gusts. The black dragon saw that Saphira was going to fly right across him and land right on her back.

_Not good if that happens to a dragon…_ he thought, standing upon his hind legs and bracing for impact. Saphira crashed into Thanatos with such force that the two dragons flipped over in midair. Thanatos was stunned by the blow, and in pain because Saphira's neck spikes dug into his thick, scaled skin.

He quickly recovered, and managed to deposit Saphira on the ground. Eragon ran over and helped wrap up Saphira's wings, while Thanatos landed not too far away, tired from the experience. He stood there, recovering, and looked up as Alex vaulted upon his neck.

Alex looked over to see Eragon signaling him to follow, and they caught up to Brom and the horses. The group continued walking, braving the storm until it settled and stopped raining.

_Are you okay, Saphira?_ asked Thanatos, breathing heavily.

_Yes, I'm fine. Wait...You're bleeding!_ she said, nudging the black dragon on his shoulder.

_Don't worry, it's nothing_ replied Thanatos, settling around the campsite Brom found, next to Saphira.

The old man tossed Alex a piece of cloth, saying "Here, use this to clean him up"

"Thanks Brom" replied Alex, walking over and wiping the blood off his dragon's front side. _"Nice job back there, Thanatos"_

_Yes, you were very brave in that storm_ added Saphira, looking at Thanatos appreciatively.

Eragon walked over to Thanatos, and said to him "Thank you for saving Saphira. We both appreciate your efforts."

Thanatos bowed his head in reply, and then Eragon went to try and start a campfire with Brom. It was then that the evening sun broke through the clouds, sparkling on the wet plants and dragon scales. Saphira and Thanatos roared happily, basking in the sun's warmth. They then settled and fell asleep, tired after the days ordeals. Exhausted after braving the storm, their riders and Brom joined the dragons in blissful slumber, awaiting a fresh start tomorrow.


	7. Separation

The sun rose in a brilliant array of yellow and orange as Alex woke up, energized by yesterday's events. He glanced at the sleeping dragons, and started up the campfire to cook some breakfast.

"_Such simple pleasures"_ he thought, looking over Thanatos' wounds. The black dragon rumbled as Alex ran his fingers over the nearly healed injuries.

"Is he doing okay?" asked Brom, who had just woken up and was tending the fire.

"Yeah, thanks for asking" replied Alex, while Eragon walked over and sat down next to him.

"Morning Eragon" said Alex as Eragon returned the greeting.

"So, where are we going today?" Eragon asked the old man.

"Yazuac" he replied jovially. "We're going to need some supplies."

"Good idea" said Eragon.

Alex nodded in agreement and looked over his shoulders at the waking dragons.

_What a night_ exclaimed Thanatos, yawning mightily.

_Good morning to you too_ said Saphira happily.

Thanatos looked at her briefly, then rolled his eyes and laughed lightly. Saphira raised an eyebrow, and smacked Thanatos with her wing. Eragon and Alex were laughing at their dragons actions, while packing up to continue on their trip.

"Let's go" said Brom as he and Eragon climbed on their horses and left the campsite. Alex ran alongside them, and the dragons flew overhead, teasing each other with light blows from their wings.

---------------

As the group arrived at Yazuac, they noticed something was wrong with the town. Thanatos and Saphira were hiding far from the village, while their riders and Brom inspected it. They found the village eerily deserted, whit no one coming to greet them.

Walking into the towns center, Alex said "What has happened h…." he paused, noticing the mountain of bodies before them.

"Ye gods" he muttered, bowing his head in respect.

He looked over at a sick Eragon, with Brom patting the lads back. Suddenly out of the corner of his eye, Alex noticed a dark shape dash behind a nearby house.

"Brom, something's here" he told the old man, looking around cautiously.

Brom and Eragon looked around nervously as many more dark shapes took to the shadows. The old man then recognized what the shadows were, and hastily beckoned Eragon and Alex to leave the town immediately.

"Urals" he hissed, speeding up his horse.

An urge jumped in front of Broms steed and growled, scaring the animal. While Brom was distracted with his mount, the monster knocked him out, and then joined 2 of his companions in chasing Eragon down an alley.

Alex ran to help Eragon but he heard a rumbling laugh behind him. He turned around to see an Urgal with his axe raised. As the beast swung, Alex felt a strange power welling up within him. He raised his hand, and shot out a bolt of light, deep-frying the urgals face and killing it instantly.

Alex side-stepped to avoid the axe, then noticed an explosion of blue fire in the direction in which Eragon was chased earlier.

"_So he has this power as…"_ he thought, and then got knocked out by an airborne club.

The urgal who threw it quickly ran and picked up the unconscious Alex, and brought him out of Yazuac. The beast then started running to a campsite a horde of urgals set up a fair ways from the destroyed town.

Meanwhile, Eragon staggered out and went to tend to Brom, who was just waking up.

"Where's Alex?" asked the old man.

"Don't know" said Eragon, looking around worried. They looked up as Thanatos flew by in a tremendous rage, emanating feelings of anger and determination.

"_Saphira, what happened?"_ asked Eragon urgently.

_I don't know…He was restless for a moment, then just took off in a fit of rage. I hope he's okay…_ she said.

"This is not good. He must've been kidnapped. If Alex is brought before Galbatorix…Tell Saphira to go look for him" said Brom.

They rode out of Yazuac, watching Saphira fly around overhead, looking for the black dragon and his rider. She returned to her rider, looking sad and forlorn.

_I cannot sense him nor Alex…_ she said to her rider.

"We must hope he is alive, and can escape somehow. I cannot thing of any other way to get to him, so let us continue on and hope he finds us later" said Brom with a twinge of sadness. Both he and Eraogn rode along depressed, with Saphira flying above them.

"_You don't think they…"_ said Eragon.

_No…I would know if that happened. They must be alive_ replied Saphira .

"I am saddened by this loss as well. Now, tell me what happened to you back there" inquired Brom.

Eragon told the old man what he had done in Yazuac as Brom regarded him with interest and concern. They continued riding away as Saphira thought

_Thanatos…Please be alive_


	8. Recovery

There'll be a title for this once I think of one...

--------------

"Bagh, how can one human be so heavy…" complained the urgal, carrying Alex toward his hordes campsite.

"Only 23 metres to go. Lord Durza had better appreciate this. He already isn't too happy about the incident in the northern forest."

Arriving at the camp, the urgal made his way to the shade, who stared at him with icy eyes.

"Lord Durza" said the urgal, bowing respectfully and placing Alex at the shades feet.

"I captured this human in Yazuac. He seems to possess a similar power to yours."

"Interesting. He flows with the gift of magic. I wonder…"

The shade looked up at the urgal, then said "Double rations for you. If anyone complains, send them to me."

"Thank you" said the urgal, running off and smiling maliciously.

Durza inspected Alex's hands, and upon finding no silver mark, thought _"If he isn't a rider, where did he learn magic…"_

The shade placed his palm on Alex's head, sifting through his memories. He found nothing but a strange white light, which seemed to evade his grasp no matter what he tried.

Breathing angrily, Durza withdrew, and then stiffened as he was contacted by a far mental call. He summoned 3 heavily armed urgal guards, and instructed them to watch over Alex.

"I've restricted his power, so he won't be using it anytime soon. If he wakes, tie him up, and don't kill him. Heads will roll if you even think of that. I should be back soon" said Durza, glaring at each urgal, and then ran off with inhuman speed in the direction of Uru'Baen. The urgals kicked Alex, then resumed their posts guarding him.

-----------------

_Alex, please be all right. I will come get you_ thought Thanatos, thinking of the best way to rescue his rider. He was hiding on the other side of the urgal camp, concentrating on not being detected by the shade.

_Good, he's leaving. Time to fry some urgals!_

An urgal heard a loud rustling in the woods behind the camp, and went to inspect. A look of surprise crossed the beasts face as he noticed the black dragon. With one swipe of his mighty claws, Thanatos sent the urgal back in multiple pieces.

Now alerted, the entire horde readied their weapons and looked around warily. A small group headed in Thanatos' direction, and were met by a torrent of flame. Before continuing on, Thanatos mentally sought out his rider, and enchanted him to be immune to fire.

He then charged into the camp, setting ablaze anything in his path. The urgals dropped like flies due to the unexpected attack by Thanatos. Scanning the camp to make sure no urgal was left alive, Thanatos turned his attention toward his unconscious rider.

_Good, you're all right_ he thought relieved, nudging Alex.

_A bit bruised, and… some curse within his mind, but I'll take care of that later._

The black dragon turned, looking around the camp and thinking of how to disguise his actions. He quickly dug graves, and buried the charred corpses of the urgals. Then he proceeded to make the camp look like no one has been there in a while.

_Not the best I could do in a short time, but It'll have to work._

Thanatos walked over and carefully picked up his rider, checking him over again for any injuries. Breathing a sigh of relief, Thanatos went out of the camp, erasing his tracks behind him. Far away from the encampment, the black dragon took off into the sky from some hard ground on which his deep tracks wouldn't show.

Flying southwest in the direction of Yazuac, with Alex's backpack strapped to his neck and his rider carefully held in his claws, Thanatos hoped to catch up with Saphira and Eragon. Sensing no trace of the sapphire dragon or her rider, he landed in a hidden clearing to rest and care for his rider.

He laid Alex on a bed of soft grass, then lightly placed his snout on Alex's forehead. Thanatos' rider smiled in his sleep, instinctively rubbing his dragons cheek. Thanatos then started working on removing the curse set by Durza. A minor look of pain crossed Alex's face, but he quickly settled. Laying a wing protectively over his rider, Thanatos laid down and lightly slept.

_We'll look for our friends tomorrow. Meanwhile, let's get some well-needed rest._

------------

Alex awakened on the grass bed, sitting up and looking around. A crude campfire burned on the other side of the clearing, with a small pile of dirty roots next to it. He noticed his backpack nearby, and let of a sigh of relief while sifting through it, thankful his possessions were still there.

Suddenly a large deer fell into the clearing. Alex looked up, and laughed as he saw his dragon flying around.

"_You drop that?"_ he asked, carving off a steak and impaling it over the fire on Balmung. Washing the roots off in a nearby puddle, Alex roasted them over the fire on Ascalon.

…_Yes_ said Thanatos, landing next to his rider and voraciously eating the deer.

Laughing heartily, Alex slapped his dragon's side playfully. _"I love you, Thanatos"_

Thanatos merely rolled his eyes, and resumed eating, but Alex could sense thoughts of affection from his dear dragon.

"_So, how are we gonna catch up to Eragon and Saphira?"_ he asked, carefully tending the half-cooked food.

_Don't know_ replied Thanatos, now done with the deer. _It definitely wouldn't be a good idea to mentally broadcast our presence, hoping she'll hear us. That for sure will attract Galbatorix like flies to manure._

"_That's true"_

Alex looked up as he heard a loud rumble in the direction of his dragon's belly.

"_Still hungry, I see"_ said Alex, munching on a cooked root.

_Yeah, I'm gonna go hunt and look for any tracks Saphira may have left behind._ replied Thanatos, flying away.

"_Good luck"_ called out Alex, finishing up the roots. Making sure the meat wasn't burning, Alex started exercising until he heard Thanatos' excited call.

_Alex! I found Saphiras tracks, and some from another beast. I'm done hunting now, so I'll come back and show you._

"_Excellent"_ exclaimed Alex, rapidly eating the now cooked meat. The sun show brightly upon Alex as Thanatos landed in the clearing.

_The tracks were pointing southwest. They may not have gone in that direction, but it's the only lead we have. Now before you strap that on_ said the black dragon as Alex was about to tie his backpack on Thanatos.

_I was thinking we could sleep till night. A black hide is a lot harder to spot in darkness._

"_Good idea"_ replied Alex, dropping the backpack and sitting down.

"_And to help with that, I've been meaning to try out that power I've acquired in Yazuac. We'll have to be careful, for as I recall, it made me a bit tired after using it."_

Thanatos nodded his head, and replied _Perhaps exercising one's mind is the same as exercising one's body. Try expanding your mind, slowly at first then if you feel you're able to, use the power. See how many things you can do, whether it be that lightning, or something else_

Alex let his mind flow, and gasped in awe as he sensed the powerful presence of his mighty dragon. He was amazed at seeing the sparks of life from the myriads of insects belowground with his minds eye. Grinning, he shot a bolt at a branch, felling it.

"_Didn't make me feel too dizzy that time"_ he commented.

_Good, you're starting to exercise control_ said Thanatos. _Now try moving something, like that rock over there._

Alex concentrated on the rock, which was not much larger than his fist. Though he struggles, the rock only moved not more than an inch above the ground. Gasping, Alex opened his eyes and rubbed his head.

"_Wow, if I managed that light bolt, you'd think I could lift a simple rock"_ said Alex, walking over to his dragon.

_I think that light comes naturally to you. Don't know why, though. We'll definitely have to work with this power later. For now, let us sleep. We'll resume traveling tonight._ replied Thanatos, laying a wing over his rider.

The noon sun shone brightly over dragon and rider as the slept, oblivious to the passing traveler staring in surprise at the black dragon. The traveler quickly left the hidden clearing, remembering what he say, and joined his companions on their way to Teirm.

-----------

A cookie to the first person who finds the Homestar Runner reference


	9. His Fate Revealed

Alex woke up as the sun set behind the horizon, yawning mightily. He looked at his sleeping dragon, and poked his side, trying to wake him up.

_Let me sleep…_ complained Thanatos loudly.

"_Hey, this was your bright idea"_ replied Alex, strapping his backpack on his tired dragon. Thanatos groaned, then after his rider seated himself on his neck, took off into the rapidly darkening sky.

_We'll keep flying in this direction. Maybe we'll find some trace of them in a town or clearing_ said Thanatos while Alex nodded in agreement.

They flew like this for a few days, only stopping to eat, sleep, and train, and then traveling again at night. Alex's mental skill increased, though he still tended to use too much at a time. Thanatos cautioned him to use his power in extreme emergencies, for the black dragon felt that too much use could lead to death.

Three nights after they left, they came upon a sprawling cite in which the housed increased in size toward the middle, where a massive castle laid. Thanatos landed on a cliff not too far from the town, and took a deep breath. He sniffed the air, sensing an almost familiar presence.

_She was definitely here_ said Thanatos as Alex dismounted.

"_Yeah, I see marks where she clawed the rocks. Too bad we don't know where they went from here. I think I'll look around in that city tomorrow morning"_ said Alex, sitting against his dragon.

_If you do that, you had better be careful. I don't want you getting caught. A lone traveler isn't exactly the most inconspicuous thing._ cautioned Thanatos, settling on the cliff. _And try not to get into any fights._

"_Don't worry, dear dragon of mine, I will be careful"_ promised Alex falling asleep nest to Thanatos.

-------------

_Alex, you'd better wake up. The town gates are open, and I think it would be best for you to take care of business as soon as possible_ said Thanatos, nudging his rider awake.

Alex put on his traveling cloak, and then climbed on his dragon who took him to the base of the cliff.

_Be cautious_ said Thanatos, heading back up to the platform.

"_I will"_ replied Alex, bidding his dragon goodbye and entering the city.

Noticing a couple of people looking at him suspiciously, he remained calm, and browsed the city, chatting with merchants and listening for talk about Eragon. Noontime rolled by, and Alex heard nothing about his friends.

"_Perhaps it is a good thing that they have managed to conceal themselves. But there must be some clue, somewhere in this city"_ he thought, determined. Relaxing in a bar, Alex overheard a couple merchants mention the town's name.

"_Teirm…So that's the name. Well, now to go look around some more."_

He exited the tavern, and wandered down an empty street. Looking around, Alex paused, sensing something amiss. He saw a strange cat sitting on the steps of what looked to be an herbalists shop.

_Another one…but different_ echoed an unfamiliar voice in Alex's mind.

"_Thanatos? No…It's you"_ thought Alex, looking at the cat surprised.

_Quite right. I am a werecat, and in case you didn't know, we are quite unique and well-respected._ said the cat.

"_Interesting"_ replied Alex, walking toward the werecat.

"_Do you have a name? And how did you know I am a rider?"_ he asked.

_You may call me Solembum. And I can sense a great many things about those around me. You are quite different than any rider I've seen in my time_ said Solembum, purring.

"_Yeah, I don't even have a mark on my hand, unlike…"_ Alex paused, unsure of whether to continue.

_Unlike your friend Eragon? And you can trust me, I won't reveal your secrets to anyone, except the owner of this shop, who I'm sure will be quite interested in meeting you. You'll like what she'll show you. Now come. A lone traveler staring at a cat will be sure to attract unwanted attention._

Alex walked up and opened the door, asking Solembum if the werecat knew where Eragon went. Hearing no answer, Alex entered the herbalist's shop where a fair-aged woman sat behind a counter, scribbling on a piece of parchment. She looked up at Alex, and said "What can I do for…"

Pausing, she looked at the werecat. Alex assumed they were mentally speaking, and he looked at the herbalist as she turned toward him.

"Another rider…My name is Angela, and I'm wondering how you got your dragon. Was another egg stolen from Uru-baen?"

"Not that I know of" replied Alex. "All I remember is that I awoke on an island far north of here. I found his egg in a forest east of that island, along with someone who I believe passed by this area. I wish to catch up with him, if possible."

"Would that be Eragon and Brom, by any chance?" asked Angela, as Alex nodded. "I do not know where he went from here, but there is a way to tell. It may not work, but it is worth a shot."

"What is it?" queried Alex.

Angela got up, went into the back room, and came out with a small pouch. She opened it on the counter, revealing a pile of bones etched with various runes.

"These are the knucklebones of a dragon. They do not lie about a person's future. Now, are you ready to see what fate has in store for you?" asked Angela.

Alex regarded her for a moment, then closed his eyes and thought hard. He looked up, then said "Yes, I am prepared to accept my fate, no matter what it is."

Angela closed her eyes, said a few unfamiliar words, and then cast the bones on the counter. Staring at them intently, she said "Your future is clouded in darkness even more than Eragons. From what I can tell, and I'm sorry to say this, it will end in sacrificing yourself to save those you care about."

Alex as shocked upon hearing this, and Thanatos was as well.

"As I said before" he replied. "We will accept our fate, and prepare every day for that moment."

Angela nodded solemnly, then continued with the fortune.

"There is more to your future. I am unsure of what it means, but the light will disappear from this realm, and darkness will live on, though weakened. It will be confronted again, but by who or what I do not know."

"My sacrifice seems almost futile, but if my death weakens that darkness, then I guess all is not lost…" said Alex dejectedly.

Angela smiled, laid a hand on Alex's shoulder and comforted him.

"Fear not, young rider. Live each day to its fullest, spend time with those you love, and all will be well" said the herbalist cheerfully, looking down at the bones once more.

"Hold on, there's something else here" she muttered.

"Oh joy, what now…" said Alex, looking at the bones as well.

"They say the path to your friends will be revealed very shortly…"

Angela looked up as the door suddenly opened, with a middle-aged man standing in its arch.

"Oh, I'm sorry Angela. I didn't know you were with anyone" said the man, starting to turn around.

"That's quite all right, Longshanks. I was just finishing up with this young man. So, what can I do for you?" she asked pleasantly.

"I overheard the guards talking about a lone traveler, and a merchant mention another black dragon."

He stopped, noticing the dragon bones on the counter.

"Those…"

"Are a true fortune-telling" finished Angela, wrapping up the bones.

"Wow, you must have one tough future." said Longshanks, noticing Alex's grim expression. A look of surprise crossed his face as he recognized the young man before him.

"So you're the rider of the black dragon…" he said, breathing heavily.

Noticing the worried looks on Alex and Angela's faces, he laughed and said "Oh, don't worry. I'm no friend of Galbatorix. The name's Jeod and I'll keep you a secret. Now I should tell you that guards are looking for you. A lone traveler, especially one as young as you is quite suspicious in these times."

"Hmmm, I should probably leave soon, but I don't know where Brom and Eragon went from this town" said Alex, still shocked at the revelation of his fate.

"But I do" replied Jeod, taking a scroll out of his jacket and unrolling it on the counter.

"This is a map of Alagaesia. Brom and Eragon went southeast of here, to a town called Dras-Leona. They're after the Ra'Zac, who destroyed Eragon's home" he explained, pointing to a town next to a large lake."

"I know all about that event" recalled Alex. "I was there when it happened. I tried to stop them, but got knocked unconscious."

"Excuse me for cutting you short Alex, but you'd better leave now. I hear guards walking down this street" said Angela. "Take the back door, and keep to the shadows till you reach the exit."

"Good idea" replied Alex, getting up. "Thank you Angela for the fortune telling, and thank you Jeod for telling me where my friends went. Goodbye."

"Your welcome, Alex" said Angela while Jeod nodded. "Who knows, maybe we'll meet again on the road of life."

"Yeah, anything's possible" said Alex, waving goodbye and heading out the back door.

"Another rider" said Angela, leaning back.

"Yes, this could bode well for the resistance against the King, but could be a curse upon us if he gets captured" said Jeod.

"Too true, too true" replied Angela.

-----------------

As Thanatos flew away from Teirm, Alex was thankful no one noticed him sneaking through Teirm. They flew in silence, pondering their inevitable fate.

"_So, what do you think of our destiny, dear friend?"_ asked Alex, breaking the silence. Thanatos didn't reply for a while, so Alex assumed he must be thinking about their decision.

_I think_ started the black dragon. _That we should be as prepared as possible for when that occurs. I admit I've been feeling an attraction for Saphira…Kind of a loving-friendly relationship._

"_That's quite understandable"_ said Alex. _"You two seem to be the only sane dragons on this world. Though, about those dragons in our dreams…"_

Thanatos rumbled, then replied _If they do play an important role in our lives, if they're mates or family, then I see no problem in being friendly with Saphira, just as long as it doesn't go too far. I think we're a bit too young for that anyway, and besides, now is definitely not the time for such things._

"_Good point"_ said Alex. They had been flying all afternoon, heading southeast as Jeod told them to. Eventually they settled upon a cliff overlooking a large, beautiful lake. Alex continued training with blade and mind, growing increasingly stronger and learning new techniques. Dragon and rider finally fell asleep together, a full moon watching over them.


	10. Reunion

They awoke to the morning sun shining on the lake below them, making it look even more grand than usual.

_We should go for a swim_ suggested Thanatos, padding over to the cliff's edge.

"_Good idea"_ said Alex, gathering firewood to cook some breakfast.

_Hey Alex, come here for a moment. There's something you should see._ said Thanatos, peering over the cliff's edge at the lake below.

"_What is it?"_ questioned Alex, dropping the wood and walking over to the cliff.

_Doesn't that dragon look awfully familiar?_ asked Thanatos, pointing to a blue dragon playing in the water with her rider.

"Why yes, she does" said Alex, smiling happily. "Let us join them. I can't wait to meet up with our friends."

He took off his shirt as his dragon stealthily climbed down the cliff and slipped into the cool waters of the lake. Alex took a deep breath, and leapt off the cliff. "Eragon" he called out, about halfway down.

Atop Saphira's neck, Eragon looked around for the all too familiar voice of his friend. It was then that Thanatos burst forth from the water, scaring the wits out of the sapphire dragon. Alex was laughing so hard at Saphira's reaction that he forgot to check his dive, and smacked into the water belly first.

_Serves him right_ said Saphira, staring at the stunned Alex. As Thanatos swam over to her, the two dragons touched noses, happy to see each other.

_Glad to have you back, Thanatos_ said a joyous Saphira.

_And tis great to be with you_ replied Thanatos, eyes sparkling. The dragons drifted down the lake as their riders discussed each others adventures since the separation.

"So, you visited Angela as well?" asked Eragon after Alex recalled his time in Teirm.

"Yes" he replied, as his face took on a grim tone. Thanatos tensed up as well, and did not answer Saphira when she asked what was wrong.

"Well, whatever's going to happen to you probably can't be worse than our fates." said Eragon, still pondering the perplexities of that Angela and Solembum told him.

"Oh, I doubt that" said Alex darkly. "But let us not worry about such things. We should always live for the moment. There's an entire lake around us, and I want to enjoy it."

Smiling cheerfully, Alex raised a ball of water and dropped it on Eragon's head. Eragon wiped his face, surprised, wondering how Alex did that without speaking the ancient language. Thinking quickly, he had Saphira arch her neck high out of the water. He jumped off his dragon and tackled Alex, sending them both into the lake. It was then that Brom called them from afar. They swam to the shore of the lake, laying their clothes out to dry.

"Good to have you back, Alex" said Brom, cooking lunch over a fire.

"You too, old man" replied Alex as the dragons lazily floated down the lake.

"So tell me about your adventures. I am most interested in hearing about them" requested Brom, leaking back and looking at Alex. The black rider thought for a moment, then recalled his capture, Thanatos' recovery, and his experience in Teirm.

"Angela" said Brom. "I've heard about her and her fortune telling. Is that how you found out where we were headed?"

"Nah, your friend Jeod popped in, and apparently recognized me from the descriptions he overheard from a couple of merchants. I think me and Thanatos may have been seen during our travels. I don't think they got a good look at my face, though." mentioned a worried Alex.

"Angela's a bit odd, and you're lucky you met Jeod" said Brom, cleaning up the campsite with Eragon. "And you two are gonna spar once were done in Dras-Leona."

"That should be fun. I've been training under Thanatos' watchful eye, and need someone to fight with. I've improved quite a bit. Say, what happened to your wrist?" asked Alex, noticing Eragon's splint.

"I broke it" he replied crisply, indicating bad experiences had happened. "It's getting better though. And I've learned to fight with my left hand. When we spar, it's going to be quite a fight."

"Can't wait for that moment" said Alex. He, Brom, and Eragon cleared up the camp as Thanatos spoke to his rider.

_Did Eragon tell you what happened after he broke his wrist?_ asked the black dragon.

"_Yeah, Brom wasn't too happy. Things have definitely improved since then"_ replied Alex. He could hear his dragon let off a relaxed sigh, content with floating down the lake with Saphira.

_It's so relaxing here, just floating and talking. She really does like me, and I enjoy conversing with her._

As Thanatos finished talking, Alex broke off contact, wanting to leave them alone for a while. He rode alongside Eragon, listening with interest as Brom told more of the history of Alagaesia.

----------------------

As they arrived on the outskirts of Dras-Leona, Thanatos and Saphira hid far enough away yet close enough to assist their riders if needed. Alex and Eragon sensed their dragon's discontent, yet they knew it was necessary. They and Brom found a room at an unclean inn called The Golden Globe. The riders opted to sleep on the floor, for the beds looked as if they were full of insects. Brom said he didn't want to deprive them of a meal, so he set his belongings on one of the mattresses.

"We should split up" said the old man. "And try to find information on where the Ra'Zac are. Alex, I suggest leaving your swords here. Go together, and meet back here by evening. And by the gods, be careful. Do not reveal your identities, and carry a weapon with you at all times."

"All right" said Eragon, gathering what he would need for the trip.

"Guess I'll have to resort to my fists. And you be careful too, Brom." said Alex, laying his blades on the floor. The old man nodded, and then departed, leaving Alex and Eragon alone.

"We should think of some fake names to use during our stay here" suggested Alex, strapping on his traveling cloak.

"In Teirm, Brom and I used Neil and Evan. How about Will for you?" asked Eragon, walking to the door.

"Sounds good, Evan" replied Alex.

They stepped out of The Golden Globe, and began to wander the streets of Dras-Leona. Many hours passed as Alex and Eragon walked throughout the town, chatting with merchants and barkeeps. They didn't find much information, except some about where the Seithr Oil the Ra'Zac used to poison Eragon's uncle was shipped and that the Ra'Zac's lair was indeed in Helgrind. During lunch at a cheap restaurant, the riders discussed their findings over soup. Their search continued until sunset, when they returned to their room at the Golden Globe, where Brom was waiting for them.

"So, what did you two find out today?" he asked, taking a seat on the bed.

"Well" explained Alex. "Not much besides Seithr Oil shipments and the Ra'Zac living in Helgrind."

"I heard pretty much the same thing" said Brom. "That and the King will visit here within the week"

"Blast, he'd probably annihilate us" said Eragon, dismayed.

"Got that right" added Alex. "We'd better finish our business here before he arrives."

"Aye" replied Brom. "But that won't be for another couple days. Meanwhile, drinks are on me tonight."

They headed down to the bar for supper, and topped the meal off with mugs of beer. Alex watched with amusement as Eragon and Brom drank nearly twice as much as him.

"_Oh, they'll suffer in the morning"_ he said, laughing mentally.

_Got that right._ agreed Thanatos.

As night crawled by, they fell asleep in their room, heads buzzing pleasantly from the evening's drinks.


	11. Alex meets the King

As Alex woke up, slight pain coursed through his mind. He sat up an opened his eyes, finding out that his vision was slightly blurred.

_How are you feeling?_ asked Thanatos.

"_Apparently a lot better than Eragon and Brom"_ replied Alex, noticing the others groaning.

_Saphira is quite amused by Eragon_ commented the black dragon. Alex laughed softly, and went downstairs to recover with his friends. They had a small breakfast, and then set out for the day. Brom went on his own, leaving Alex and Eragon to do their own thing.

The riders walked through Dras-Leona, and eventually came upon a heart-wrenching sight. A little girl was wrenched from the arms of her crying mother as an announcer shouted out a price.

"Slave trading…" whispered a horrified Alex.

"How can they do such a thing…" said an almost enraged Eragon. He started to use magic to free the girl, but Alex grabbed his hand to stop him.

"I'd like to help her too, but doing so would get us into worse trouble, and she would most likely get recaptured. I think I speak for both of us in saying that by out blades, we will see that this abomination is done with" he said determined.

"Aye, that you do" replied Eragon, walking away with his friend. Their travels eventually led them to the huge black church in the middle of town. They went in not to worship but to pay homage. The riders kneeled at the altar for a moment, and as they got up, they froze, for the Ra'Zac were standing in the doorway.

Fueled by the memories of his dead uncle, Eragon let loose a couple arrows which the Ra'Zac easily dodged. Alex searched around for a weapon, but Eragon grabbed his arm, saying

"Don't bother, they've brought soldiers." He looked up and noticed a group of soldiers with the Ra'Zac running up to the altar.

"Guess we'll have to kill them later" said Alex, escaping through a side door with Eragon. He nodded grimy as they ran through the church, looking for a way out. Suddenly a monk blocked the way with a fighting stick. Alex instinctively evaded and jumped out of a nearby window, barrel-rolling onto the ground. He got up and brushed himself off; hoping Eragon made it our okay.

_He did_ came the voice of a concerned Thanatos. _Meet Brom at the inn you stayed at. And by the love that binds us, Hurry!_

"_Don't have to tell me that"_ replied Alex, running in back of the buildings, keeping to the shadows. It was then that he heard soldiers calling out to each other, and thought _"Crap, I'm surrounded."_ Thinking quickly, he jumped between two buildings and had Thanatos mentally transport his cloak to him. He put it on, covered his face with the hood, and walked out of the alley, looking for whatever the guards were.

"Halt!" called out one of the guards, running up to Alex. Apparently not recognizing him, Alex was about to let off a relieved sigh, but caught himself.

"Did you see anybody run past here?" asked the soldier.

"No, I was just walking along, trying to find the source of the commotion when I saw something running behind these buildings. I went to inspect, and all I saw was you running up to me" replied Alex. The guard cursed, then he and his companions resumed their search.

"Can't believed that really worked" said Alex to himself, walking out of the alley and looking for a different bar.

_Yes, but you're too late. The gates are closed._ came his dragon's urgent message. Walking calmly, Alex entered a cleaner tavern than the Golden Globe and took a seat at the bar, still concealing his identity.

"_Then what do you think I should do? You can't come rescue me, for you'd be an easy target for the many archers around here."_ he replied, obviously quite worried.

_I hate to say this, but you're gonna have to wait until things calm down._ said Thanatos.

"_And the others?"_ asked Alex, sipping a mug of fresh beer.

…_There is no other choice._ The black dragon sighed, adding _I'm gonna have to withdraw contact with you. If the king comes, we can't risk him knowing any more than he probably already does about us. Goodbye for now, my friend._

And thus Thanatos regretfully withdrew from his rider, leaving him to his thoughts.

Alex sighed and stared into his drink. The bartender noticed him, and walked over, asking "Something wrong, buddy?"

"Oh, I'm just wondering how I'm going to get to Teirm to visit my cousin. With the recent tightened security, I have a feeling I won't be able to get out of here." replied Alex.

The barkeep leaned on the counter, and looked at Alex. "You know, you're very lucky the guards mistook you for someone else" he said quietly. Alex froze, and looked up at the bartender, caution dancing in his eyes.

"Oh, don't worry. I'm no friend of the King, or those inhuman Ra'Zac. My names Tim" he said, wiping a dirty mug. "Though I should mention business has been a bit slow lately…" added Tim.

Alex sighed, and handed Tim a handful of coins. "Think that'll buy me a room for the night?"

"Yeah, I'll try to cover you if soldiers come, but I won't stop the Ra'Zac or Galbatorix" replied Tim, pocketing the money and handing Alex an iron key.

"Thanks. Well, I'm gonna turn in for the night, and try to escape later" said Alex, yawning.

"Goodnight" replied Tim, closing up the tavern.

Alex went upstairs to his room, locked the door, and went to sleep on the soft bed. A couple days passed while Alex hid in Tim's tavern when one morning he awoke to a sharp knocking on his door. He got up and opened to find a concerned Tim looking down at him.

"The King just arrived. He probably doesn't know about you, but I thought I should tell you just in case." he said.

"Thanks, Tim" replied a worried Alex, fishing the rest of his coins out of his pocket. He gave them to the bartender saying "Fix me up with your strongest drink, please. The rest is for any damages caused by possible future conflicts. You're a good man, Tim. Thanks for the hospitality."

Alex walked downstairs and sat down at the bar, thinking of any way he might escape the inevitable confrontation with Galbatorix. "Pour soul" muttered Tim, following the rider to the bar and preparing the drink. After passing Alex a mug filled with a bubbling black liquid, the bartender waited on the other patrons there. A few minutes later, Alex felt a powerful force brush across his mind.

"_Must've been the king"_ he thought, taking a sip of the potent liquid, which bubbled in his belly and filled him with much energy. He looked around at the other people, but they apparently didn't feel anything. It was then that Alex heard heavy footsteps walking into the bar,

"_Here goes nothing"_ thought Alex, pulling his hood over his face and drinking more beer to try and quell his pounding heart. Moments later, a man garbed in a black cape and armor strode purposefully into the tavern. A dark sword was in a sheath clipped to his belt.

"Galbatorix is it?" rasped Alex, his vocal cords damaged by the beer. He swayed on his seat, attempting to appear almost drunk. The King sat next to Alex, and stared at the rider with icy eyes.

"Yes, that is right. And you are?" he asked coolly.

"I…I don't remember. Lost in the beer perhaps" replied Alex, staring into the beer and trying to recall. Galbatorix tensed up for a moment, and it became apparent that he wasn't buying this act. Changing the subject, the king asked

"What do you know of the events that transpired the other day? And don't give me and crap; I know you had something to do with them." Alex thought for a moment, noting the innate anger in the king's voice, and came up with an answer.

"You are right, I did have something do to with what happened here while ago. I was about to leave to visit a relative in Teirm when I heard yelling and a couple horses charging around. I went to inspect only to find the gates were closed. I tried to get out, but the guards wouldn't let anyone through. And then I ended up in this tavern, passing time with beer."

"Is that all?" asked the king, forcefully turning Alex to face him. Moments before it happened, Alex gazed upon Galbatorix's grazed face, eyes betraying the emptiness he felt when he was bereaved of his loving dragon, only to be finned up by the resulting madness. Alex felt a moment of pity, but then the king raved through his mind and memories.

Thinking quickly, he grasped Galbatorix's mind and broke into the strange light which fluttered around his conscience like moths attracted to fire. The king tensed up for a moment, and tried to brush Alex's grip from his mind, but found that he couldn't.

"Release the light within me!" yelled Alex, forcing his power into Galbatorix's mind. The king cried out in pain, grasping his head and collapsing on the floor, unconscious. Wiping his brow, Alex thought

"_Shards, that took a lot out of me, but at least I can escape now."_ He looked around at the stunned patrons, watching as some cautiously slinked toward the door. It was then that the king started twitching. Alex quickly chugged the rest of his beer and fled the tavern, waving goodbye to Tim along the way.

He was forced to stop, for a plethora of soldiers stood outside the tavern with their spears pointed toward him. Tapping into his power once more, Alex performed a massive leap onto the roof of the pub. The guards stared in awe, and then readied their archers who fired at the tired rider.

"_Good time for the beer to kick in"_ thought Alex as a rush of adrenalin surged throughout his body. _"I just hope I get out of here alive."_

Arrows whizzed by his head as Alex bounded across the rooftops of Dras-Leona. A couple got lodged in his mesh armor, but he quickly pulled them out. Soon he reached the walls of the city, though there was a large gap between the roof he was standing on and the wall itself.

Alex looked down as soldiers raced by, then jumped across to the wall. His feet got caught on the edge, causing him to fall over and land on his chest. He gasped and massaged his sore ribs, looking around for guards. Seeing no one, Alex ran into the forest, hoping to catch up with Eragon.

He was about to reach out with his mind to contact Thanatos when he heard large wings flapping toward him. Alex knew at once who this was, and threw himself on the ground so Galbatorix's dragon wouldn't see his face. Shruikan landed and trapped Alex under his arm, saying _Don't try anything or I'll crush you._

"_The king probably wouldn't like that too much"_ mentioned Alex, noting the reluctance and sorrow in the dragon's voice.

"_He wants me alive for what I know, and possibly my skills. Say, I was wondering, do you honestly despise Galbatorix for what he did to you and your true rider?"_

Silence was the response Alex got from Shruikan, but he could sense that the dragon did indeed despise the king for what he had done. _"I feel pity for you, and wish to assist should you decide to turn against the king"_ said Alex discreetly.

_I was twisted by black magic to serve him. Breaking that bond won't be easy, but if there's a way…Promise me you'll help._ replied Shruikan, raising his arm.

"_I will"_ vowed Alex, getting up and brushing himself off. "But for now I should leave. Goodbye, o cursed one." And thus Alex departed into the forest, leaving Shruikan to ponder the recent events and how he would explain them to the king.

The sun was at its peak as Alex came upon a rocky hill with a cave at its front. He was going to inspect the cave, but something more interesting caught his eye on top of the hill. A diamond tomb laid there, where Brom slept peacefully within it.

"Rest in peace, old friend" whispered Alex, kneeling in respect for the dead. He looked up and noticed the epitaph on the grave's headstone.

"So he was a rider…Thanatos!" Alex turned around excitedly as his dear friend walked up to him. _"Fly, dear heart. We must leave immediately. The king is sure to be awake now, after I knocked him unconscious."_ said Alex, mounting his dragon after a brief hug. _"What happened to Eragon and Saphira?"_

_It is good to see you well, my friend. We were attacked by the Ra'Zac, who chained us and drugged Brom. A man named Murtagh appeared to assist us, and we brought Brom to this cave, but sadly he didn't survive. After the burial, they continued north to a town called Gil'ead, and I decided to wait behind for you. And about the king, I did feel a surge of power earlier…Was that you?_ asked the black dragon, gaining much altitude and distance.

"_Aye it was. Took a lot out of me. The beer isn't helping either"_ replied Alex, shaking his now aching head.

_That'll teach you to drink_ said Thanatos dryly, easing himself above a cloud.

"_Hey, I needed the extra energy to get out of Dras-Leona. And speaking of energy, how much farther do you thing you can fly before you get tired out?"_

_Oh, I just ate. I'm fueled for a long time. Pardon the turbulence._ said Thanatos as a gust of wind slammed into him.

"_Yeah, try to take it easy. I'm gonna try to get some rest"_ said Alex, laying down and securing himself on his dragons neck.

The day came to an end, and Thanatos had flown long and far. The dragon was getting tired, and landed in a clearing to rest. He laid Alex against a tree, and took off to find water. Upon returning, he saw from afar a group of soldiers and the same crimson haired man as before carrying his rider into a nearby city.

_Not again…_ complained Thanatos, hiding himself on a tree-covered hill, plotting on how to rescue Alex. _Gonna be even harder this time._ Night flowed over the black dragon as he fell into a light sleep.


	12. Escape to the Varden

_A light-brown haired girl sat next to a young man on a tall cliff. They looked very similar, except the lad was much thicker. Behind them laid twin ruby dragons sparkling in the evening sun. The humans appeared to be talking, then tensed and looked up as though they felt someone was watching them. The scene then faded out, leaving Alex to wonder who they were._

"Kora…Kalas…" he whispered, still dreaming. Alex woke to a door creaking, and opened his eyes to see a tall man with crimson hair walk in. The man sat down on a nearby chair, and clasped his hands, waiting for Alex to get up. Leaning up against the wall and feeling very light-headed, Alex went to scratch an itch, but found out his hands were bound with chains. Looking at the crimson-haired man, he asked weakly "Who are you?"

"My name is of little consequence to you" said the man, boring through Alex with his evil gaze. "Now that I have you in my grasp once again, what is your name and where are you from?"

Looking at the man curiously, Alex searched his memories but found them clouded by a massive hangover. He grimaced, then replied "My name…Will I think, and I came from a tavern in Dras-Leona. That's all I remember…"

Raising an eyebrow, the man said "Any other secrets you'd like to reveal?"

"I would, but you're not gonna get anything out of me until this hangover passes" groaned Alex, clutching his head. The man glared, then stood up and left the room saying "I'll be back." After he left, Alex laid down and rested until Thanatos contacted him a while later.

_Interesting that you keep falling into the grasp of evil. _

"_Thanatos!"_ exclaimed Alex. _"Ow, my head" _

_I can fix that_ replied the black dragon, banishing the ache from his partners mind. _A man named Murtagh is coming to rescue you and Eragon. Go with them, then Saphira and I will fly you to safety._

"_Thanks Thanatos. See you soon."_ acknowledged Alex to his dragon, who did the same to him. Alex sat upon the edge of the bed, and tried to remove the chains binding his hands when he heard the sound of keys trying to open the door. He quickly laid down as a guard entered with a tray of food, then as the man turned to leave Alex jumped and threw his chains around the mans neck.

Before the guard could call for help, Alex slammed his head on the wall, knocking him unconscious. He quickly closed the door and dragged the knocked out man to a corner of the room. Taking the keys from the guard's hands, Alex took a quick look down the hallway. Seeing nothing, he closed and locked the door behind him.

Walking down the dungeon Alex paused by a solid wooden door, hearing footsteps coming down the hallway. Thinking quickly, he tried every key and eventually unlocked the door. Alex ducked into the room, and shut the door just as 6 soldiers rounded the corner of the hallway.

He locked the door and discovered the room was filled with an eerie silence, almost as if there were arcane barriers preventing the travel of sound. Minutes passed as Alex listened for anyone trying to open the door. He turned to explore the room, almost tripping on a body laying on the floor. Examining the form, Alex could tell whoever it is was in a deep trance, and in slight pain.

"_Probably poisoned"_ thought the black rider. He turned around as he heard someone trying to open the door, and quickly stood aside as a middle-aged man with a hand-and-a-half long sword walked in. Not wanting to take any chances, Alex leapt from his hiding spot and wrapped his chains around the man's neck. Surprised, the man grabbed Alex's arms and tried to flip him but ended up crashing onto the floor.

"You must be Murtagh" said Alex, disengaging himself and getting up.

"Alex, is it? Nice to meet you. Eragon is hiding in a room upstairs. There's a shade around here, and we need to leave as soon as possible. I'll take the elf and we'll be beading to the armory to retrieve hers and Eragons weapons." replied Murtagh, hoisting the elf over his shoulders the elf over his shoulders and walking out with Alex.

"Right" nodded the rider, following Murtagh throughout the hallways.

"Are you as skilled as Eragon with a blade?" asked Murtagh as they entered the armory.

"Possibly, though I haven't sparred with him in a while. My swords are with Thanatos, though I can't do much because of these chains" replied Alex, picking up Zar'Roc and Eragon's bow as Murtagh retrieved the elf's weapons. Alex was amazed at the exquisiteness of the sword, and how neatly if fir into the sheath at the elf's waist.

They went upstairs and met in a dining room, where Murtagh laid the elf on the floor alongside the wall as Eragon came out from under a table.

"Nice to see you again" greeted Alex, handing Eragon his weapons.

"And you as well" replied he, sheathing Zar'Roc and tying his bow onto his back. It was then that a terrible cracking sounded above them as the building shuddered.

"What the crap was that?" exclaimed Alex, looking around.

"That would be our dragons tearing through the roof" said Eragon. "I hope they get here quickly before that Shade comes..."

"Oh I'm afraid it's far too late for that" came the voice of the shade, standing in the doorway. "Now, are you two and your friends going to serve me?"

"I think I speak for us all in saying were going to politefully decline that offer" replied Alex, smiling. The Shade snarled, then lunged toward Alex with is sword raised. Reacting quickly, Alex raised his chained hands in an attempt to defend himself.

"Look out!" cried Eragon as time seemed to slow down and the Shade's blade inched closer to his friend. Eragon watched as Alex stood up with the chains sliding off his hands.

"Thanks" said a grinning Alex, delivering a powerful roundhouse kick to the Shade's chest. The Shade retaliated by yelling "Thrysta!", slamming Alex into the wall. Eragon then ran up to confront the Shade, who turned around to fight. The Shade was an exceptional swordsman, and was obviously toying with Eragon, though the rider held his ground quite well. Eventually the Shade tired of fighting and brought his sword to Eragon's throat.

"Not bad. I could teach you so much more if you…Ugh!" cried the Shade in pain. Murtagh landed a good headshot, causing the Shade to howl grievously and disappear in a cloud of dark mist.

"Hope he's dead" said a relieved Alex, walking up to Murtagh and Eragon. A group of soldiers barged into the room, and crowded around them, but quickly ran away as the dragons decimated the roof and crashed into the room. Eragon and Alex embraced their partners, then climbed upon their necks.

"Hand me the elf, Murtagh. I'll take care of her. Go with Eragon and Saphira" commanded Alex, carefully placing the elf on his lap.

"All right" agreed Murtagh, taking a seat behind Eragon on the sapphire dragon. The beasts took off into the skies of Gil'ead, and were met with a storm of arrows. Most of the arrows were heading for Saphira, and Thanatos did his best to shield her. They could not dodge all of them, as many tore through the wings of the dragons and ricocheted off their scales.

One got lodged in Saphira's shoulder blade, though they managed to fly a fair distance from Gil'ead. Landing in a clearing, Alex leapt off of his dragon, placed the elf on the ground, and assisted Eragon and Murtagh in removing the arrow which pierced Saphira's shoulder. After this was done, Eragon went over and healed the wounds on his dragon's wings.

"Would you mind doing that to Thanatos? I'm still not exactly sure how to use that type of magic yet." requested Alex, tending to the elf with Murtagh.

"Sure thing, I'll have to teach you later. Shame you weren't around to learn from Brom though" replied Eragon, dutifully healing the dragons.

"We should leave soon, for the Empire's soldiers will surely catch up to us" said Murtagh, standing up.

"Good idea. Though where shall we go?" wondered Eragon, finishing up with the dragons. "The surrounding area should be an option of last resort, and we don't have enough water to cross the Hadarac Desert. And before I forget, what happened to the horses?"

"They ran off when we were ambushed by Urgals. Neither Saphira nor I could find them" replied Murtagh with a hint of sadness.

"There's usually water deep underground" suggested Alex, mounting Thanatos with the elf in his lap. "Though if only there was an easy way to access it."

"That's right. I could raise the water with magic. And it shouldn't exhaust me too much" said Eragon happily, climbing on Saphira with Murtagh.

"Then it's decided. To the desert!" said Alex as the dragons flew off into the sky.

_Thank you for healing me, Eragon_ said Thanatos to the blue rider, who responded with a welcome.

As they flew on, Eragon and Saphira taught Alex all they knew of magic, but he did not grasp it fully. Such concepts and techniques still eluded him, and it did not help that that there was no easy way to practice in midair. Alex tried to use the words of power, and struggled with their manipulation.

"You aren't alone, Alex. I once had trouble lifting the simplest pebble. We'll practice some more later on" called out Eragon from his dragons back.

"Great. Until then, I'll make do with my current skills" replied Alex.

Eventually the dragons had to rest, for they were not yet used to the extra weight upon their backs. Before them lay miles of sand and scrub, shimmering in a wave of intense heat.

"Almost out of the empire" breathed a relieved Murtagh, taking a sip from his water skin.

"Aye" agreed Alex, looking at the expanse before him. Eragon kneeled over the still unconscious elf, concerned that she still hadn't woken. Wiping her lips with a damp cloth, he said to Alex "If it is indeed poison that afflicts her, then we should get to the Varden as soon as possible."

Murtagh stiffened at that remark, then said "I cannot go to the Varden because of my past, which I'll keep to myself. But I promise to help get you to them."

"Thanks" said a tired Eragon, climbing onto Saphira with Murtagh. Alex once again mounted Thanatos, carrying the elf in his arms as the black dragon took off with Saphira aside of him. They flew south for a couple days, resting at night to refill their water skins.

Plagued by the occasional vicious sandstorm, the group became very irritable, Alex being the most tense among them. One blazing afternoon, Saphira noticed the dim outline of massive peaks in the distance. Telling Eragon and Thanatos excitedly, they all looked in awe at the gigantic mountains before them.

"Those must be the Beors. I knew they were huge, but I didn't think they were that massive" said Murtagh, staring in wonder at the far peaks. The dragons continued flying for another day, and eventually arrived at the base of these behemoths of stone. Their white caps seemed to stretch forever in the sky, for not even the dragons could see their tops.

Saphira and Thanatos went off to hunt in the grasslands, leaving Eragon to tend to the elf while Alex and Murtagh talked about the finer details of swordplay. Their conversation paused when Alex noticed Eragon had been kneeling over the elf for quite some time now.

"He's been like that for too long. I'm gonna go see what's wrong" said Alex, walking over to where the elf lay as Murtagh thought about their discussion. Then Eragon up, breathing heavily as though he struggled with a powerful opponent.

"And what just happened to you?" queried Alex, raising an eyebrow.

"I spoke with the elf. Her name is Arya." replied Eragon as Murtagh walked over.

"Did she happen to tell you where the Varden are located?" he asked.

"Yeah, but we have to hurry. She doesn't have long…blast, who are they?" Eragon looked up as a group of burly men appeared on horseback with bows and swords. Murtagh and Alex scowled, and the men took notice of this.

"Slaves shouldn't look at their masters like that" said the leader, looking at them disdainfully. One of his accomplices walked up and noticed Arya. "Torkenbrand, this one's an elf."

"Well, that one will be worth a fortune in the empire" replied the slave leader, smiling greedily.

"Oh for the love of…" muttered Alex, anger crossing his usually calm features. Walking up to the slavers, he yelled "My entire journey consisted of sand in my face and gulley, and being deep-fried by the sun. Nothing but misery crossed me and my companions, and I will not have our progress impeded by the likes of you!"

Eragon looked at his friend, surprised by his sudden outburst. Far above, Thanatos and Saphira waited to assist their riders at a moments notice. The slavers aimed their weapons at Alex as Torkenbrand said "You have no weapons, and no chance of escape. What can you do, little man?"

"Oh, I won't be doing anything" replied Alex, flashing the slavers a grin. "But I can't say the same about my friends here" finished he as Thanatos and Saphira landed on either side of him, snarling. The slavers looked on with fear as some ran away screaming. One shot an arrow at Thanatos, which Alex immediately blasted away with lightning from his palm.

Eragon and Murtagh arrived at Alex's side with their blades drawn, causing the rest of the slavers to run away. Torkenbrand tried to do the same, but he tripped on a small rock. As he got up, Murtagh ran and removed the slavers head. Eragon ran up and argued with him, but Alex didn't pay attention because he was suddenly feeling very lightheaded. Soon the feeling passed, and he leaned against his dragon's side, watching Murtagh walk up to him.

"Mind if I ride with you? Eragon and I need to cool off after our recent argument" he asked looking back as Eragon picked up the elf and climbed onto Saphira.

"Oh, certainly" agreed Alex, helping Murtagh atop Thanatos' bulk. The sparkling blue dragon took off with her obsidian friend close behind her. Following the elf's directions, they headed along the Beors, looking for the valley where the Varden were hidden. During their flight, Alex could sense feelings of discontent from Murtagh by how tense the man was, so he decided to lighten the mood with pleasant conversation.

"So Murtagh, why do you not want to go to the Varden? You're running form the Empire like us, so wouldn't you want to seek haven somewhere, instead of constantly evading capture?" he asked casually over the sound of the wind in their faces and the flapping of the dragon's wings.

"I would, except the Varden wouldn't accept me because of my past and who I am." replied Murtagh darkly.

"I'm figuring they'll at least spare your life for assisting us riders and the elf." added Alex.

"That's possible. Can you keep a secret? You should know who you've been traveling with all this time." asked Murtagh.

"Yes we can" replied Alex, indicating Thanatos could keep it as well.

"Fine then. I'm sure Brom told you about Morzan, my father" revealed Murtagh.

Alex turned his head with a surprised look on his face, then smiled and said "You may be the son of a Forsworn, but Thanatos and I still trust you. Your father you are not. We would've known immediately if you bore us any malice, yet you helped us so many times already."

"Thank you, Alex. And don't say anything to Eragon, I want to tell him myself." said Murtagh, relieved.

"All right" replied Alex, laughing. "I've noticed you two seem to be a lot alike. Are you sure you and Eragon aren't brothers, or at least relatives?"

Murtagh looked at Alex curiously, and said "That may be a possibility. Did he ever mention his mother's name to you?"

"I don't recall that. Maybe he did and I forgot…" said Alex, trying to remember.

"I don't think I'll mention this to Eragon, that might be too much of a shock to him." said Murtagh, laughing lightly. "Hey look, the valley we've been searching for…Alex?"

"Oh sorry, I was just looking at that huge group of Urgals following us" said Alex, looking at the mass of beasts in the distance.

Murtagh followed his gaze and cursed loudly, saying "Those are Kull, and their chieftain must be keeping them at a breakneck pace. Get word to Eragon that the Varden must know of this imminent danger."

"Thanatos just told him and Saphira" growled Alex as the dragons flew into the valley. At the end was their goal, a waterfall flowing into a lake with rock ledges on either side. The dragons were getting tired of the constant flying, but there were only halfway across the valley.

"Bad news, Murtagh. I see no place for you to escape, and there are about 20 of those Kull following us on foot." said Alex, hearing the yells of the elite Urgals below.

Murtagh sighed heavily, then looked to see Saphira dropping tocks onto the Kull. Thanatos did the same until they came to the end of the valley. Saphira let Eragon off so he could follow the elf's instructions and let the Varden know of their presence.

Meanwhile, Alex put on his armor and Murtagh readied his sword just as 15 Kull burst out of the forest. Roaring a challenge, Thanatos went off to find more boulders to launch and Saphira doe into the lake, hoping to surprise the Kull from its watery depths.

Much to the dismay of his companions, Alex yelled and charged into battle, swinging his blades like a master swordsman. An urgal swung his sword at Alex, but he crossed his blades and caught the beast's weapon between them. In a scissor-like motion, he cut the Kull's weapon in half, and immediately went for the beast's throat. Alex was getting so caught up in fighting the Kull that he didn't even notice the walls of the cliffs opening up.

Two bald men in purple robes walked out, followed by a short bearded man and a group of well-trained soldiers. The soldiers and the little man went to assist Alex while the bald men ordered Eragon, Saphira and Murtagh to get inside the cave. One of the men took them down a long dark passageway while the other waited impatiently for Alex and the soldiers to finish up with the Urgals.

The battle was going quite well. Alex's skills with the sword formerly locked up in the deepest recesses of his mind were now in full bloom. His courage heightened the spirits of the soldiers around him, and they fought bravely because of him. A Kull managed to strike Alex on the top of his helmet with a massive club, but the rider didn't seem to notice, and retaliated by thrusting Ascalon into the Kull's chest. As he pulled the silver blade out another Kull came in for the kill, but his head split open due to a well-thrown rock by Thanatos. Alex congratulated his friend on the headshot, and looked for more Kull to kill but realizes there were no more left. A soldier ran up to him, and thanked Alex for his assistance.

"It was an honor fighting with you, rider. The outcome would've been a lot worse had you not helped us" he said placing a hand on Alex's shoulder.

"You're welcome. I should go now, the bald one seems to want to talk to me." replied Alex, smiling. Walking up to the cliff where the bald one was waiting for him, Alex came upon a strange scroll spattered with blood. Upon closer inspection, it appeared to be from the leader of this group of Kull.

"_I'll give it to the Varden's leader"_ he decided, walking up to the bald man as Thanatos landed behind him. The bald man raised an eye at the black dragon, then with his hand, motioned for him and Alex to follow. Alex walked alongside his dragon, keeping silent for he felt he couldn't trust the bald one or his accomplice. Thanatos raised his head and observed his surroundings with interest.

_With the Varden at last. I hope we're able to rest after all that harsh traveling._ mentioned the black dragon, letting off a tired sigh.

"_So do I"_ agreed Alex, walking with Thanatos deeper into the tunnel. _"So do I."_

-----------------------------

Author's note: Whew! This chapter is a personal record for me. I've never written so much in a couple of days. This is what happens when you have a week long vacation with nothing else to do. And I enjoyed writing this quite a lot.

One more thing: I'm planning out the final chapter to this fanfic now, and before some of you get disappointed that this is ending, I'm planning on writing sort of a sequel, which should be quite good, and another story based on the life of an originalcharacter which will make an appearance in my second fanfic.

Reviews are always helpful. Thanks! Alex


	13. Within the Varden

As Alex followed the purple-robed man, he wondered if there was some sort of security test he had to go through.

"_There should be, after all the Varden and Empire are enemies"_ thought Alex.

_Saphira just told me that the other bald man went through Eragon's mind. He had her conceal Murtagh's identity, as well as what we told him of your dreams._ mentioned Thanatos.

"_Good, so I was right"_ replied Alex, turning to the bald man.

"My companions, are they farther up this path?"

A nod from the man indicated the answer to Alex's question.

"And am I correct in assuming I have to go through some of mental test soon?" queried Alex.

The bald one stopped walking, and turned around, saying "Yes, that's right. Let us do that now."

He placed his hand on Alex's forehead and proceeded to sift through his memories. Alex clenched his teeth and relaxed to try and reduce the pain, for the bald one was very thorough in his searching. Soon the test was done, and Alex fell to his knees, breathing heavily.

"There were some strange, cloudy parts in your mind, but overall you are trustworthy." said the bald man, traveling down the hallway. "Come, your friends are near."

"_I wonder what part of my past will be revealed next"_ wondered Alex, following the man with his dragon.

_I think whatever's still locked up in your memories may be the last thing we need to know about our past. As soon as we recover from our travels_ the black dragon sighed, obviously quite tired from all the flying. _An inevitable conflict with the creature from our nightmares may happen soon. I don't like this feeling, but I feel we must confront it. And I want to be as prepared as possible for this event, so I want to commence training as soon as possible._

"_As do I, dear heart, especially if it involves sacrifice"_ said Alex, staring ahead with a stony look on his face. A door opened in front of them, revealing a dimly lit room in which Eragon, Saphira, and Murtagh resided. The bald man disappeared down another hallway, but not before saying he'll be back in the morning.

Alex and Thanatos walked in quietly, for the sapphire dragon and her rider were fast asleep. Murtagh looked up at Alex, wondering if the rider said anything about his past. Alex indicated he didn't, so Murtagh settled against the wall and Thanatos laid down next to Saphira. The black dragon laid his head on his forearms, grateful for rest, as his rider collapsed next to him, obviously too tired to take off his armor. They all slept peacefully throughout the night, until the door to their chamber opened and one of the bald men stepped in followed by a group of warriors. Eragon sat up groggily as the bald man said "Our leader will see you now. Follow us atop your dragons."

Thanatos and Saphira woke up, yawning and stretching their limbs. Eragon walked over and playfully kicked Alex in the side.

"Time to wake up, Alex. I think they want to show us off" he said as Alex groaned and stretched. Skillfully jumping up onto his feet, the black rider yawned mightily, struggling to open his tired eyes.

_Mornin sunshine_ teased Thanatos as his rider sluggishly mounted him, still in full battle regalia. Not even bothering to retaliate, Alex sat up and mentally prepared for what was to come up. The bald man led the procession down yet another tunnel, followed by Murtagh the warriors and finally Eragon and Saphira. Alex and Thanatos led the end, with the black dragon looking very proud and dignified.

_There's probably going to be some antagonism because of my color, what with the king's dragon being black, so I have to show them that I'm a friend and mean them no harm._ said Thanatos.

"_Good Idea"_ agreed Alex, grimacing as the door opened and the morning sunlight smacked him in the face like a falling brick. As his eyes adjusted to the brightness, a loud cheer erupted from crowds of people, and to his surprise, dwarves, on either side of him. Alex took off his helmet and looked around at the crowds, raising a hand in greeting. Ahead of him, Eragon was acting a bit shy and Saphira was showing off by breathing out a puff of smoke.

Alex noticed some of the dwarves had hard, stony looks on their faces, and deduced they must've had conflicts with dragons in the past. The cheers subsided as the dragons followed the bald man and the warriors into a great mountain city. Alex was amazed at the detail of the architecture of this great stone mountain, and marveled in its splendor. Thanatos carried his rider's excitement, and mentioned that the dwarves must be excellent artisans.

Soon they came upon a great door, and paused before it. The warriors departed, and the bald man opened it, revealing a grand study outlined in bookshelves. In the center of the study was an ebony-skinned man sitting at a desk. The bald man joined his twin under a nearby set of stairs as the dragons walked up to the desk and sat down in front of it. Their riders dismounted, and along with Murtagh, sat down in chairs in front of the dragons.

"Welcome to Tronjheim, riders" announced the ebony man, spreading his arms in a friendly gesture and looking at the riders. "I am Ajihad, leader of the Varden"

"I am Eragon, rider of Saphira" replied Eragon as Saphira nodded.

"And I am Alex, rider of Thanatos" said Alex, pointing to his black dragon. Ajihad nodded in recognition, then turned toward Murtagh, apparently recognizing him. As the Varden's leader spoke, a familiar presence entered Alex and Thanatos' mind, blocking all senses except their thoughts.

"Kriegos" whispered Alex and Thanatos together, now completely oblivious to their surroundings. They were in the same position when Ajihad spoke with Murtagh, yet now darkness clouded their minds.

"_My dear Alex, glad to see you're doing well. It's been quite a while since our last encounter, has it not?"_ sneered the dark lord.

"Yes, though I don't know the exact date. And once we get out of this trance, you're dead" replied Alex, glaring at Kriegos.

_I'm with Alex on this one. All the pain you've caused, all the anguish, the death…This will end._ added Thanatos resolutely.

"_Oh really?"_ growled the dark one, grinning victoriously. _"You two don't even remember my one weakness, or anything that occurred before you arrived on this soon to be destroyed world"_

"On the contrary" they replied together, looking up at Kriegos. "We remember everything. You are a fool, Kriegos. How could you not know that a visit from an important part of our past would set all our memories back in place?"

Stunned for a moment, the dark lord growled, obviously quite angry. He smote Alex and Thanatos, then departed only to arise again. As their senses returned, dragon and rider looked around to find that only they, Ajihad, Eragon, and Saphira remained in the study.

"Alex, are you all right?" asked Eragon, worried about his friend.

"What has happened, rider? You and your dragon were as still as statues for the past five minutes" queried Ajihad. They both looked in his direction, awaiting his response. Alex and Thanatos gazed upon the Varden's leader, and said

"Sorry, our past just came back and smacked us in the face. Yes, that means we remembered everything, though we need a bit of time to sort everything out."

"All right, I'll tell my story until then" said Eragon, turning to Ajihad and unraveling his adventures. Alex and his dragon listened with half an ear, conferring with each other on how they would reveal their past. When Eragon finished up, all eyes turned toward Alex, waiting for his tale. Taking a deep breath, Alex began talking.

"I'll start off by saying that Thanatos and I are not of this world. We originate from planets far from this one, one that is dominated by dragons who live in relative harmony with a fair number of humans, and where Thanatos was born. I came from one where humans thrive due to advanced technology, ideas and objects I've abandoned for a cleaner more peaceful life with a group of friends and dragons."

"So there are other worlds beyond ours" interrupted Eragon, amazed at that fact.

"That explains how different Thanatos and Saphira are" added Ajihad, then apologizing for interrupting Alex. "You may continue not"

"Thank you. I lived on my home planet, Earth, for a while with my guardian and friend Lyn. One night as the year came to an end, Thanatos here crash landed in my backyard. He was, back then, a dwarf by dragon standards, much smaller than he is now. Later though, he went through a massive growth spurt, particularly through a technique called ascension, but that's a different story.

After Thanatos recovered, he told me and my friends about what was going on back on his planet. I was feeling strangely attached to him at the time, so I offered to help. At first he declined, but after I told him I felt it was my destiny to confront the darkness overwhelming his planet, and that I always knew in the back of my mind that there was something different about me, that this was my chance to find out who I really am.

Thanatos mentioned that there was an old legend in which the holy dragon, the wielder of light, in the form of a two-legged creature will assist his brethren in their time of need. Believing this legend to be true, he accepted my help and we traveled to his planet through a portal he created. Once there, I fought the dark lord and barely managed to defeat him. I collapsed, but the dragons revived me and brought me before their king, queen, and prince, who happens to be standing behind me. The royal family wanted to graft me and my friends into their society. For a while, all was well.

A small colony of humans was established, though it was and still probably is closely watched by the dragons to make sure it doesn't turn out like Earth did. During this period, I became very good friends with Thanatos, and Lyn grew quite attracted with Alvara, the adopted daughter of the queen. Dragons are creatures of great and deep emotion, and because of this we discovered that intimate relationships could be forged between dragons and humans who wish to do so.

Then Kriegos struck again, this time with much more force. Such battles with him happened a lot, and they were often filled with death and betrayal. It seemed that the dark lord never seemed to die, but we will keep fighting until he finally is defeated.

"_Let us not worry them about our future sacrifice. I don't want them to get in the way"_ whispered Alex to Thanatos, who quickly agreed.

"And about how we arrived here in Alagaesia, I believe that Kriegos tapped into the dangerous art of teleportation, the instantaneous transportation of matter through time and space. Kriegos wanted to send Thanatos and I back through time, hoping we'd forget everything and thusly become weak. What he expected to happen did, but he couldn't predict that we'd be able to regain our memory this quickly, or Thanatos' apparent rebirth. Now all that needs to be done is to wait for the final confrontation with the dark lord, where we will battle him alone."

"Your story is amazing Alex, though I admit I'm still a bit skeptical. I find it hard to believe that even the most skilled of magic users could transform into a dragon, especially one so powerful that could defeat the dark lord, if he is as strong as you say" said Ajihad, somewhat shocked at this revelation.

"Your skepticism I perfectly understandable, Ajihad" replied Alex, floating out of his chair. An aura of light surrounded him, and two sets of wings with feathers as pure as snow sprouted out of his back. The wings were about half as long as the study, and were so bright that they nearly blinded the residents within. The aura around Alex shimmered, and would've gone out of control had Thanatos not been helping to stabilize it with his own power. The wings soon disappeared, and the room returned to its normal level of brightness as Ajihad, Eragon, and Saphira uncovered their eyes.

"That ought to be enough proof" assumed Alex politely, settling into the chair.

"Definitely more than enough" replied Ajihad. "When the dark lord comes, your assistance will be greatly appreciated."

"Thank you. It's been great talking with you, but I'm sure Eragon and I, as well as our dragons, need some rest and relaxation now, if you don't mind" requested Alex.

"Not at all, rider. But first…Orik!" commanded Ajihad as the dwarf walked into the study. They began talking, but Alex didn't join and instead briefly spoke with Thanatos.

_Saphira seems uneasy. I think she may have figured out our plans_ said the black dragon.

"_And are you prepared to tell her the truth?"_ questioned Alex, now walking out of the room with his friends.

_Yes_ concluded Thanatos.

They walked out to a cliff overlooking the surrounding area, where the dragons took off to find something to eat. Orik then guided Alex and Eragon to a dark bathing room, where they washed off the desert sands which had accumulated on their bodies. After the bath, they went down to the cafeteria and had a nice hearty meal. Their afternoon consisted of a tour of Tronjheim, where Orik explained with pride about dwarven accomplishments.

"I'm gonna go check out the training grounds. I'll be back for dinner" said Alex, bidding his friends goodbye.

"See you later, Alex" said Eragon just before Saphira contacted him.

_I worry about Thanatos. I think he and Thanatos are hiding something about them and Kriegos._

"_I wonder what it could be"_ wondered Eragon.

_I just hope it isn't what I think it is_ said Saphira grimly.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

_I have full confidence that our abilities in fighting and magic are good enough_ said Thanatos watching his rider polish his gear. They were on the edge of the sparring fields, far enough away as to not distract the Varden's soldiers. Alex placed his gleaming blades next to his armor, then sat next to Thanatos in a meditative position.

"_Then let us seek out our friends and family, to let them know we are alive and well"_ he said, melding with his dragon and expanding their powerful minds beyond the reaches of Alagaesia and into the inky blackness of outer space. Taking their time, they had to conserve their strength for they knew they had a long way to go.

Galbatorix would not notice their presence, for they were keeping well away from the black city of Uru'baen. Eventually Alex and Thanatos came to what they knew to be their home planet. By now, their minds were at their limits, though they pushed on, hoping to contact someone on the surface. Struggling ahead, they encountered a familiar presence which appeared to be sleeping.

"_Kora!"_ yelled Alex, trying to talk with his daughter before he was forced back to his body. Thanatos felt his riders kin awaken, and quickly spoke with her, though most of it didn't get through.

_Listen…on strange world…Kriegos will awaken…other dragons…running out of…give Alvara my love…_

Forced to fall back, they strode forward one last time and encountered a different force, a finely crafted enchanted spear. They grabbed a hold of it and rapidly returned to their bodies, strangely not too tired.

'The Arc Wind" whispered Alex, balancing the spear in his hands. Its shaft was forged of a strong blue-tinted metal, shaped in a spiral pattern. This continued up to the head of the spear, except for two smooth sections where the spear was supposed to be gripped. The head of the Arc Wind spread out in three directions, with two smaller blades at a slight angle from the larger, middle one. The edges of the blades were so sharp it could cut through stone. There was also a blue crystal socketed on the other end, in which sparks of lightning could be seen.

"I never expected it to be so intricately enchanted. The power to force opponents away on striking, to summon lightning whenever I want, This spear has it all. I love it!" he crowed, leaping up and masterfully twirling it around as Thanatos looked on with amusement.

Alex thrust the Arc Wind in front of him, but it was stopped by the blade of Arya. A gust of wind howled from the spear and sped past the elf, blowing her hair behind her back. Alex smiled and tossed the spear aside, then picked up Balmung, excited at the prospect of dueling a strong opponent. He brought up the golden sword in a defensive stance as Arya did the same, while waiting for her to make the first move.

Suddenly the elf lunged and their blades met with a metallic clang that sounded across the entire field. The elf's blade slashed dangerously close to his side, but Alex quickly dodged and stabbed toward the elf's belly, all the while being extremely wary of Arya's agility. Such ferocious fighting continued for more than an hour, and neither side seems to be tiring. The soldiers of the Varden, as well as Eragon, Saphira, and Orik watched this duel with extreme amazement. Alex was holding back somewhat, but fought with his full power once he discovered elven skill with fighting. The battle stopped when the duelist's swords ended up lying on each others neck.

"That was, without question, one of the best duels I've had in my entire life" said Alex excitedly, neatly piling up his gear.

"You put up a good fight as well. Not many humans, even riders, could hold their own against an elf that well" complimented Arya. Her voice was pure and almost musical. Alex took note of this, but didn't pursue such thoughts any further.

"_Lyn doesn't like it too much when I get too interested in other women"_ he thought amused, fondly remembering his close friend. Coming back to reality, he said to Arya

"I'm sure Eragon told you by now that I'm not exactly human"

"He did. No where in elvish lore or history was any mention of other worlds like ours, yet you and Thanatos are clearly not from there. Tell me, what is your world like?" asked an interested Arya. Eragon walked over and the three of them sat in between the dragons, listening to Alex's descriptions of his origins.

As evening descended upon them, they departed for a meal in Tronjheim, and then the riders went up to the dragonhold to sleep. During the night, Saphira was quite a bit restless, so she stepped out for a bit of fresh air, and found Thanatos gazing up at the clear, starry sky.

_Beautiful night, isn't it?_ said Saphira, walking up to the black dragon.

_Aye_ he replied, briefly looking at the dragon next to him. She shied away for a moment, concerned about something, then returned her gaze to the heavens.

_What is worrying you, Saphira? You've been tense ever since my earlier revelation_ asked a concerned Thanatos, looking the blue dragon in the eyes. Saphira looked up at her friend, then replied after a pause

_I'm worried about you and Alex. After your rider mentioned that you two must balance each other out, I thought back to when he mentioned that he, the all powerful dragon of light must do battle with the dark lord Kriegos, a horrible realization crossed my mind. One must sacrifice himself to completely destroy the other._

She sniffed as a tear formed in the corner of her eye.

_And if your rider dies…_

_So will I. We've been together for so long, I will follow him to the afterlife_ said Thanatos. More tears ran down the sapphire dragon's cheek as she laid her neck on Thanatos', and edged closer to him.

_I don't want you to die. You're the only sane dragon I know of. Thanatos, I…I love you!_ said Saphira emotionally, laying a wing over the black dragon. For a moment, Thanatos was stunned. He accepted her ministrations, then replied

_Saphira, even if I die, my spirit will live on. I will always be with you. Besides_ he added lightly. _I'm…taken. I've already mentioned Alvara, my mate._

_Ah yes, silly me_ said Saphira, trying to clear the tears from her face, though her expressions were still of sadness and anxiety.

_Do not be so depressed, Saphira. You're a great friend, and I will never forget you. Besides, some of my acquaintances will end up coming here to find out what happened to Alex and I. You are and will never be alone, Saphira_ replied Thanatos, comforting his friend. _Such feelings do no good. Banish them from thy mind, and let us enjoy this cool night together._

_Thank you, Thanatos_ finished Saphira, relaxing on the stone ledge, still connected with Thanatos. The stars shone brightly as the two dragons slept peacefully.

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Authors Note:

Ok, I lied about the last chapter thing. Sorry. I felt this was a good stopping place, and decided to end the chapter here. The final chapter in this fanfic will be a bit shorter, about 2-3 pages instead of the usual 6-8.

And I believe I explained Alex's origins well, but if anyone thinks further clarification is needed, please tell me and I'll do just that.

-Alex

PS- Attn: Jasin Cunth:

If you wouldn't mind using another word besides Awesome in your reviews, just for the sake of variety. Thanks.


	14. Fallen Heroes

Saphira woke up to a dwarf yelling urgently at her rider. She immediately noticed that she was alone on the cliff. Quickly looking around, she neither felt nor saw no sight of her friend Thanatos. The sapphire dragon went with her rider to Ajihad's study, for the leader wished to speak with them. They found out through the scroll Alex gave Ajihad earlier that there was an entire army of Urgals and Kull ready to attack Tronjheim. Ajihad said that preparations have been underway, and asked where Alex was.

"I do not know" replied Eragon. "His room in the dragonhold was completely abandoned, and there's no sign of Thanatos…"

Ajihad cursed, then sent Eragon and Saphira to assist with the battle preparations. Along the way, Eragon questioned Saphira's anxiety and concern when Thanatos was mentioned.

_He told me that this battle will be his last. I admitted my admiration for him, forgetting that he mentioned that he already had a mate. If he goes, I'll be the only sane dragon in Alagaesia…_ she replied, shuddering.

Eragon placed a hand on his dragon's side, saying _"If I understand your concerns Saphira, I'm going to say that everyone has a mate for them, whether they're from this world or another."_

_Oh I know that. I just don't like seeing friends die._

"_Neither do I"_ said Eragon, remembering Brom's death. They arrived at the fields around Farthen Dur where they assisted the dwarves in collapsing some of the tunnels under the mountain, to force the Urgals out of a few selected tunnels. Much time passed after this, in which Murtagh and Arya joined them. They say no sigh of Alex or Thanatos during this time.

The Varden's soldiers were divided into three separate armies. One was led by Ajihad, another by Jormundr, Ajihad's 2nd in command, and the last by Hrothgar, King of the dwarves. The dwarves equipped Saphira with a set of dragon armor, further bolstering her defense. Then, the Urgals came.

Thousands of the monsters poured out of the tunnels, charging toward the Varden. Some soldiers on cliffs above the tunnels spilled boiling tar and pitch onto the Urgals, and tried to light them aflame. The Kull charged on, but suddenly a thunderous roar sounded throughout the entire battlefield.

Both sides looked up to see a very determined black dragon with a spear-wielding rider on its back. The rider wore a full suit of armor studded with green crystal, and his spear was wrapped in many bolts of lightning. Thanatos roared again as the battle resumed, and the Urgals fired a cloud of arrows at him. Alex pointed the Arc Wind at the arrows, and shot them all down with the stormy spear.

The great black dragon blew a massive fireball toward the charging Urgals, lighting aflame the tar. They flew down to meet their foes, as Alex leapt off his dragon and embedded the Arc Wind in the skull of a Kull. Walking off the large corpse, he defended himself against three Kull as his dragon tore through the Urgals army with fire and claws.

Looking behind him, he caught Eragon's gaze and nodded in acknowledgement. The blue dragon and her rider flew to fight alongside Hrothgar as Alex sent shockwaves of lightning into the ranks of his enemies. Like usual, Alex's lust for battle took over. His moves and skills flowed like water, though he seemed more determined and resolute.

Thanatos was getting so ferocious that the Urgals were running from him, but the black dragon pounced upon them like the deer he hunted. The Varden's soldiers were losing, but Alex and Thanatos fought on regardless. Suddenly there was a great howl form somewhere in the mountain, and quite a few dark spirits flew off into the distance. The Urgals looked up as if they were released from a spell, and turned on each other. Alex planted his spear in the ground as Thanatos landed beside him. They looked up to see a hole being rent in the sky, and a dark form crawled out of it.

"_Time to fulfill our destiny"_ said Alex, while climbing on Thanatos.

_Aye_ replied the black dragon, taking a deep breath before flying with his rider to confront their foe. As they leveled out far above Farthen Dur, the reborn dark lord wasted no time in beginning his assault on Alex and Thanatos. Kriegos himself looked like a swirling cloud of darkness with four torn wing-like structures sprouting out of his back. A single glowing eye next to an empty socked stood out on the dark lord's demonic face. Kriegos bared his large fangs, and shot many balls of dark energy at Thanatos and Alex. Their years of experience fighting Kriegos shown as they dodged most of the bullets. A couple clipped Thanatos on the shoulder and leg, but he fought on.

"_You two are fools for fighting with me after such a battle"_ sneered the dark lord, tearing through the rider's armor with his claws and slashing Thanatos' side. Alex retaliated by charging the Arc Wind with holy energy, and slamming it into the dark lords remaining eye. Kriegos howled with pain and frustration, and created a massive explosion above dragon and rider, slamming them onto the crags of Farthen Dur, unconscious.

Eragon had just woken up from his fight with the shade Durza. After a brief discussion with his friends, he asked what became of Alex.

"He's still fighting with Kriegos" said Arya darkly as the explosion rang throughout the mountain. "And it doesn't sound like things are going too well for our friend…"

Silently, Eragon got out of bed and picked up Zar'Roc.

"Where are you going?" asked Angela before Eragon walked out.

"If Alex falls, Kriegos' next target will be the dragons. Saphira and I will fight, regardless of whether we win or lose" replied Eragon.

"We will come too, for we will not sit by while out land gets destroyed" said Murtagh.

"All right, let's go then." Eragon climbed onto Saphira, and they all walked through the hallways of Tronjheim. They arrived just in time to see Kriegos about to strike Alex and Thanatos one last time. The dark lord stalled and instead turned his attention to those advancing toward him. Eragon and his friends bared their weapons in front of Kriegos, who laughed and fired a beam of dark energy at his enemies.

Suddenly there was a flash of light, as a tired and bloody Alex atop an equally damaged Thanatos stood before them. Alex floated above his dragon and released the light within him, ascending into his true form. . Before Alex's power went out of control, Thanatos allowed himself to be absorbed into the holy dragon. Saphira, her rider, and their friends looked on in awe at the beautiful pure white dragon above them. It was slightly larger than Kriegos, and its body was covered in gleaming feathers.

Kriegos fired off another dark beam, which ricocheted off of the dragon and disappeared into the skies. Alex took this time to reach forward and absorb the dark lord, who struggled mightily but could not trump the power of his adversaries love and compassion.

"_Everyone, I couldn't have asked for better friends. Do not be saddened by our deaths, for we will live on inside your hearts. Goodbye."_ said Alex and Thanatos to their companions below them. They threw their heads back and roared one last time, detonating the holy power within them. An explosion of white fire burst throughout the skies of the Beors, obliterating Kriegos for good. As the fire settled, two bodies could be seen dropping out of the sky. A black dragon and his rider clinging weakly to his neck.

_Thanatos!_ screamed Saphira, flying toward her dear friend. She watched on in horror and sadness as the black dragon slammed onto the ground, lifeless, throwing his rider on the bloody fields. The sapphire dragon landed nearby, and futilely touched Thanatos' cheek as her rider checked out Alex.

"Eragon…" whispered the near-dead Alex as his friend kneeled down next to him.

"Take these amulets." There was a brief flash of light as two very intricately wrought amulets, one fit for a dragon and the other for a human, appeared in Eragon's hands. The amulets looked similar, with the image of a dragon clutching a sphere of light in its claws.

"Should darkness arise again, these will protect you and Saphira. Goodbye, my friend."

And with those last words, Alexander, rider of Thanatos, died. Eragon clutched the amulets close to his heart as he mourned his fallen friend.

_Bring him here_ said a very depressed Saphira. Trying not to cry, Eragon carried the surprisingly light body of Alex and laid it next to Thanatos. Saphira took a deep breath, and hummed deeply, as the air surrounding the fallen heroes shimmered. The bodies of the great black dragon and his rider sank beneath the earth as spires of black rock replaced them. In the front of the collection of spires laid a boulder of the purest white rock.

"_You honored them well"_ said Eragon, laying a hand on his dragon's side. A voice came from behind them, and they turned to see Jormundr riding to them on a horse.

"_Come, our destinies await us"_ said Eragon, turning with Saphira to mourn their friends once again before going off with Jormundr.

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RAWR!

Finally done. It feels so good to have completed this, my first story. I hope you all enjoyed this. Be sure to check out "The Keeper of Souls", which I'll be working on next.

Alex

PS- For those of you who are wondering, yes there is a sequel to this fanfiction that I'm planning to write after I'm done with Ruidrik's life story.


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